Summer Flounder Commercial Mesh Exemptions Framework Action: Framework 18 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan: Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review, and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis

As described in more detail in Section 4.1, the purposes of this action are to consider modifications to summer flounder commercial minimum mesh exemption programs, including: Consider revisions to the area associated with the Small Mesh Exemption Program (SMEP). This action will consider modifications to the area associated with the SMEP for summer flounder, including evaluating suggested revisions made by fishing industry representatives during the Fall 2023 review process for this exemption. Consider revisions to the annual review criteria associated with the SMEP. This action will consider modifying the process and review criteria for the SMEP which guides the NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator in their decision regarding whether to rescind the exemption for a given season. This action will update these criteria using information that was not available at the time the exemption was originally established, including recent data on exemption use and discard trends. Consider modifications to the definition of flynet gear relative to the flynet exemption to the summer flounder minimum mesh size: This action will consider modifying the regulatory definition of a flynet as it relates to the flynet exemption to the summer flounder commercial minimum mesh size. Changes would be considered in light of changes in the use and configuration of commercial trawl gear since this exemption was put in place in the 1990s.