Scup Fishing Season Extends Through 2011

The recreational fishery for scup or porgy will remain open in Connecticut waters through the end of 2011, according to a press release from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The scup fishery had been scheduled to close on Tuesday, Sept. 27. The DEEP rescinded the closure due to the health and abundance of the coast-wide scup population.

"A combination of healthy fish stocks and harvest levels far below existing quotas have made it possible for Connecticut to take this action," said David G. Simpson, Director of Marine Fisheries for DEEP.  "This opportunity will benefit anglers and tackle shops alike. It is a direct result of coast-wide conservation measures enacted over the last decade that have successfully restored scup populations."

Scup are a relatively small fish, averaging around one pound, that are abundant from Massachusetts to New York in inshore waters during the summer and early fall and then migrate offshore to deeper ocean waters in winter.

All anglers are reminded that recreational scup fishing in federal waters outside Long Island Sound will still close on Tuesday, Sept. 27.  Federal waters occupy portions of Block Island Sound but not Long Island Sound. Anglers are also reminded to check regulations in neighboring states before fishing there.

Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island are all pursuing similar measures to keep their recreational scup season open for the remainder of the year.

For anglers fishing from shore or on private vessels in Connecticut waters, the minimum size -- 10.5 inches -- and bag limit of 10 fish remain unchanged during the extended open season.

For paying passengers fishing from a party or charter vessel, or P/C, the current 40 fish bag limit remains in place only through Tuesday, Oct. 11.  Thereafter, the bag limit returns to 10 fish.

The 11-inch minimum size for P/C fishermen remains unchanged through the rest of the year.

On September 15, the coastwise total combined landings for commercial and recreational fisheries was projected to fall as much as 9.9 million pounds short of the Total Allowable Landings under the fishery management plan approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the DEEP reported.

This underage has recently allowed states and the federal government to increase commercial access under existing rules that allow in-season adjustments to trip limits.

These adjustments are made possible through weekly monitoring of commercial landings. Despite these adjustments, the market demand is weaker than supply, leading to the projected underage for 2011.

Similar in-season adjustments are not practical for recreational fisheries with many thousands of participants and no real-time monitoring, according to the DEEP.

However, the large projected commercial and recreational underage provides a unique opportunity to suspend the closed season in the recreational fishery and provide added opportunity for anglers and the businesses that rely on recreational fishing, without negatively impacting any other fishery or state, the DEEP stated.

The 2011 Total Allowable Landings increased approximately 90 percent over 2010 and is expected to increase approximately 71 percent in 2012. These large quota increases reflect the near record scup biomass that is presently twice as large as the target set under federal law.

More information can be obtained by contacting the DEEP Marine Fisheries Division in one of the following ways.

• 860-434-6043 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
• E-mailing dep.marine.fisheries@ct.gov
• By mail at P.O. Box 719, Old Lyme, 06371
• The DEEP’s fisheries webpage