Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery

NMFS issues this notification to announce that the summer flounder commercial quota available to the State of Maryland has been harvested and to announce the closure of the summer flounder fishery in the EEZ. Accordingly, vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Maryland and no commercial vessel may fish for or possess summer flounder in the EEZ for the remainder of calendar year 1996. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise Maryland that the State's quota has been harvested and to advise vessel and dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in that state. Also, regulations governing this fishery require that once the commercial fisheries for summer flounder are closed in all states, such as is now the case, the Regional Administrator close the EEZ to fishing for summer flounder for the remainder of the calendar year.