Mid Atlantic Federal Commercial Fishing for Summer Flounder: Facts to Know

Does it feel like the process to get the Mid Atlantic federal commercial fishing permits that you want is too difficult? Have you tried to sit down to update your permits for Summer Flounder or similar species of fish only to give up because the process was too time-intensive? An hour you spend filling out online forms is an hour you don’t spend improving your commercial fishing business. The Commercial Fishing Permits Center is here to make the process easier on commercial fishing pros of all kinds. 

Summer Flounder

You may have heard: “oh, the summer flounder stock is too low to fish,” that’s not true. Not anymore. Yes, the stock declined to shocking, record lows in the early 90s and late 80s. But, the powers that be worked to make sure that they bounced back. Today, summer flounders are at recommended levels of fishing status, with a fishing rate that actually actively promotes population growth. So, there’s never been a better time to fish for summer flounder. 

How They’re Managed

Speaking of the 1980s, that’s how the commercial catch limit is distributed among the various dates – based on their share of commercial landings in the 1980s. Under the “Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan,” managers figure out how much summer flounder can be harvested in a given year. Then, they divvy up the catch limit. Forth percent of that goes to recreational fishing while sixty percent of it goes to commercial fishing professionals like yourself. You might think: “gee, there’s quite a few fish and mesh size limits when it comes to fishing for these summer flounder.” That’s intentional. They help maintain the part of the summer flounder population that can reproduce. 

The Forms We Offer

At our site, our “Summer Flounder” form is under the “Atlantic Region/Mid-Atlantic.” Now, in regards to this form, you may need to show a “confirmation of permit history.” This allows vessel owners to retain permit eligibility should the vessel be destroyed, sold, or the like. Then, the permit in the “Confirmation of Permit History” can then be placed on a vessel later on. We understand that this can be a bit difficult to parse. So, if you have any questions about how any of this works, our staff will be more than happy to answer all of them. 

All the Mid Atlantic Federal Commercial Fishing Permits You Could Want and Then Some

We know there’s plenty of opportunity in fishing for summer flounder in the Atlantic. However, we also know there’s plenty of opportunity in fishing for Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab, Atlantic Herring, Balck Sea Bass, and so much more. You can find all of those permits and plenty of others at our site. Moreover, you can find permits for waters far from the Atlantic as well: the West Coast, the Pacific Islands, Alaska, and more. To see all that we offer, head to our site or call (866) 292-4204.