May 4, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
KEY MESSAGE:
NOAA Fisheries announces the re-opening of the western, northern, and southern (gillnet component only) Gulf of Mexico zones to commercial king mackerel fishing at 12:01 a.m. local time, May 11, 2017. NOAA Fisheries will publish a closure notice for each zone when the respective quota is projected to be reached.
WHY THIS RE-OPENING IS HAPPENING:
- A final rule effective on May 11, 2017, increases the quota for each zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
- The western, northern, and southern zones are currently closed because landings reached the old quotas.
- The increase in the quotas allows additional harvest for the 2016/2017 fishing year, thus NOAA Fisheries is re-opening the zones in the Gulf of Mexico which have available remaining quota to commercial king mackerel fishing.
- The landings for the southern zone hook-and-line component exceeded the original quota and are at 100 percent of the new quota; thus, only the western, northern, and southern (gillnet component only) zones will re-open.
- Beginning May 11, hook-and-line fishing will be prohibited in the Florida Keys, which will now be part of the southern zone in the Gulf year round, and thus is subject to the Gulf of Mexico southern zone hook-and-line component closure.
- Additional quota information for the 2016/2017 season is as follows:
| Pounds landed | Old quota | Old quota % | New quota | New quota % | Pounds left | |
| Western | 1,114,278 | 1,071,360 | 104.00 | 1,180,000 | 94.43 | 65,722 |
| Northern | 289,641 | 178,848 | 161.95 | 531,000 | 54.55 | 241,359 |
| Southern Hook and Line | 619,544 | 551,448 | 112.35 | 619,500 | 100.01 | 0 |
| Southern Gillnet | 534,892 | 551,448 | 97.00 | 619,500 | 86.34 | 84,608 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Where are the zones that will re-open?
- Please see the map below.
Why aren’t all of the zones re-opening?
- Zones are only re-opening if there is sufficient available quota to harvest
- NOAA Fisheries determined that the southern zone hook-and-line component does not have sufficient quota available to allow for a re-opening and a timely closure to prevent exceeding their quota.
- Therefore, the southern zone hook and line sector will not be re-opening for the 2016/2017 fishing year when the final rule becomes effective May 11.
- Because the Florida Keys will now be part of the southern zone in the Gulf year round, harvest of hook-and-line fishing there for king mackerel is prohibited when the southern zone is closed.
What will the quotas be in later fishing years?
- Quota for years up to the 2019/2020 fishing years are listed below.
| Year | Western | Northern | Southern Hook and Line | Southern Gillnet |
| 2016/2017 | 1,180,000 | 531,000 | 619,500 | 619,500 |
| 2017/2018 | 1,136,000 | 511,200 | 596,400 | 596,400 |
| 2018/2019 | 1,116,000 | 502,200 | 585,900 | 585,900 |
| 2019/2020 | 1,096,000 | 493,200 | 575,400 | 575,400 |
What is the status of the king mackerel population in the Gulf of Mexico?
- A 2014 assessment determined that the Gulf of Mexico king mackerel population is not undergoing overfishing (too many fish being harvested) nor is it considered to be overfished (too few fish).
- The assessment indicates that catch levels for the population can be increased.
Related Links and Information can be found on NOAA Fisheries Website: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_sa/cmp/2016/am%2026/index.html