Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Recreational Measures for the 1998 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries

NMFS issues this final rule to amend the regulations implementing the FMP for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries. This rule implements a possession limit of eight fish per person and a minimum fish size of 15 inches (38 cm) for the 1998 summer flounder recreational fishery; a minimum fish size of 10 inches (25.4 cm) and an August 1 through August 15 seasonal closure for the 1998 black sea bass recreational fishery; and no change in the current regulations for the 1998 scup recreational fishery. The intent of this rule is to comply with the regulations implementing the FMP for the fisheries that require NMFS to implement measures for the upcoming fishing year that will prevent overfishing of these resources.