The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to finalize the commercial summer flounder possession limits for 2012 during a meeting March 27 in Newport News.

Meeting the previous month, the commission voted to lower the recreational size down from 17½ inches last year to the new 16½-inch length for summer flounder. A daily possession limit of four fish was also imposed.

"The lower limit will allow anglers to keep more fish that they catch, and was made possible by an increased quota allocation to Virginia by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission," VMRC spokesman John Bull said. The 2011 limit included a five fish possession standard.

Also, Bull said the commission action allows vessels to possess both North Carolina and Virginia summer flounder limits on board at the same time.
In other matters, the commission took these actions:

—Finalized the time of day and harvest limits for the harvest of horseshoe crabs by gillnets;

—E...