The Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, pursuant to COMAR 08.02.05.21F, announces that the recreational black sea bass fishery will be closed from 12:01 a.m. January 1, 2017 through 11:59 p.m. February 28, 2017. In order to implement the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Black Sea Bass, the Department will establish the season, catch limit, and minimum size for the recreational black sea bass fishery for the remainder of 2017 in a later notice.