Saving Seafood

Mid-Atlantic Council Approves Revised Stock Rebuilding Plan for Atlantic Mackerel

June 15, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has approved a revised rebuilding plan and 2023 specifications for Atlantic mackerel. The first rebuilding plan for the stock was implemented in November 2019. However, an updated 2021 stock assessment found that, although the stock size almost tripled between 2014 and 2019, the stock was only 24% rebuilt in 2019 and unlikely to complete rebuilding as anticipated.

The revised rebuilding plan approved by the Council has a 61% probability of rebuilding the stock by 2032. Of the five rebuilding options considered, the Council selected this approach because it has a high probability of successfully rebuilding the stock while avoiding the severe economic impacts that would likely occur with some of the other alternatives. Compared to the original rebuilding plan, the revised plan uses lower predicted recruitment in projections to reduce the chance of underperforming stock growth predictions again.

The Council also voted to implement a first-ever federal waters recreational possession limit for Atlantic mackerel for 2023. Recreational catches of Atlantic mackerel have been relatively low historically, but recreational restrictions were deemed appropriate to achieve the total catch reduction required under the rebuilding plan. The Council had initially considered possession limits in the range of 10 to 15 fish per person, but they ultimately recommended a 20-fish per person limit based on the limited historical recreational catch and the importance of mackerel for recreational fishermen (including as bait). This limit is expected to reduce recreational catch by about 17%. Coordination with states that have substantial recreational mackerel catches (MA, NH, and ME) occurred during development of the plan, and it is hoped that these states will mirror the federal rules for their state waters in 2023.

Under the selected rebuilding plan, the acceptable biological catch (ABC) will be 8,094 metric tons (MT) for 2023. After accounting for expected Canadian catch, recreational catch, and commercial discards, the Council recommended setting the 2023 commercial quota at 3,639 MT. This quota is 79% lower than the initial 2021 rebuilding quota. A new Management Track Assessment will be available next year to inform 2024-2025 specifications.

The Council also discussed potentially scaling down the river herring and shad cap, currently set at 129 MT, in response to the reduced commercial quota. However, given the challenges associated with monitoring a very small cap, including potential closures based on a few observed trips, the Council voted to maintain the cap at 129 MT for 2023.

Finally, the Council agreed to request that NOAA Fisheries provide additional outreach and compliance assistance regarding the appropriate permitting and catch reporting for both commercial and for-hire vessels. Additional outreach should address any ambiguity regarding the need to have a permit and submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) by these vessels.

The Council will submit this amendment to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and implementation. Updates will be posted on the Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding 2.0 page. For additional information about this action, contact Jason Didden at jdidden@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5254.

 

Mid-Atlantic Council to Hold Public Hearings on Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding Amendment

April 13, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public input on a proposed amendment to rebuild the Atlantic mackerel stock. Comments may be submitted at any of five public hearings to be held between April 25 and May 2, 2022 or via written comment through May 9, 2022.

A 2021 stock assessment found that Atlantic mackerel was overfished and that overfishing was occurring. Although a rebuilding plan was implemented in November 2019, the 2021 assessment found that the stock was unlikely to rebuild as anticipated. The stock size increased 180% between 2014 and 2019 but was still less than a quarter rebuilt. In response to this updated information, the Council is developing a new rebuilding plan.

The Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding 2.0 Amendment contains five rebuilding alternatives projected to rebuild the stock within 10 years. Potential management measures include commercial quotas, recreational bag/possession limits, a 3-inch commercial minimum mesh requirement, and permitting clarifications. The action would also set specifications and a river herring and shad cap for 2023. Please see the Overview of Rebuilding Alternatives and Public Hearing Document for additional information about the alternatives considered in this amendment. A video presentation will be available on the amendment page by Monday, April 18.

Public Hearing Schedule

1.New Bedford, MA – Monday April 25, 2022, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., Fairfield Inn and Suites – 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740, (774) 634-2000

2.Plymouth, MA – Tuesday April 26, 2022, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn – 4 Home Depot Drive, Plymouth, MA 02360, (508) 830-0200

3.Portsmouth, NH – Wednesday April 27, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Urban Forestry Center – 45 Elwyn Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801, (603) 431-6774

4.Brunswick, ME – Thursday April 28, 2022, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., Curtis Memorial Library (Morrell Meeting Room) – 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, ME 04011, (207) 725-5242

5.Webinar – Monday, May 2, 2022, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to Shelley Spedden, (302) 526-5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Written Comments

Written comments may be submitted through May 9, 2022 by any of the following methods:

•Online: https://www.mafmc.org/comments/mackerel-rebuilding

•Email: jdidden@mafmc.org (use subject “Mackerel Rebuilding”)

•Mail to: Chris Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901. Mark the outside of the envelope “Mackerel Rebuilding.”

Documents

•Public Hearing Document

•Overview of Rebuilding Alternatives

For more information, contact Jason Didden at jdidden@mafmc.org (also 302-526-5254) or visit the Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding Amendment page.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Atlantic Mackerel Fishery Closure

October 14, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is closing the entire Atlantic mackerel fishery in federal waters through the end of the fishing year on December 31, 2021.

Effective at 0001 hour on October 15, 2021, vessels are prohibited from fishing for or landing more than 5,000 lb of Atlantic mackerel per trip in or from federal waters through December 31, 2021. Vessels may not land Atlantic mackerel more than once per calendar day.

The most recent management track assessment from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center concluded that the species remains overfished and overfishing increased slightly. We are implementing this closure to minimize additional catch for the remainder of the current fishing year.

If you have started a trip prior to October 15, 2021, you may offload and sell more than 5,000 lb of Atlantic mackerel from that trip, as long as the vessel entered port before 0001 hr on October 15, 2021.

For more information, please read the notice as filed in the Federal Register, and the permit holder bulletin posted on our website.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Alyson Pitts, Regional Office, 978-281-9352

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

NOAA Fisheries Announces Final Rule for the 2021-2023 Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Specifications

July 21, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is finalizing the Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish quotas for the 2021-2023 fishing year and reaffirms 2021 chub mackerel specifications as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

This action:

  • Maintains the 2020 specifications through 2022 for Atlantic mackerel (19,184 mt acceptable biological catch (ABC)), through 2021 for Illex squid (30,000 mt ABC), and through 2023 for longfin squid (23,400 mt ABC).
  • Reduces the butterfish allowable catch by 72 percent, from the current 22,752 mt to 6,350 mt in for the remainder of 2021. Given recent catch trends, this reduction is not expected to negatively impact the commercial fishing industry.
  • Maintains the 3,884 mt butterfish catch cap in the longfin squid fishery.
  • Implements 48-hour Illex reporting after July 15 for commercial dealers for the remainder of the fishing year. Tthe current requirement is weekly reporting.
  • Increases the Illex squid ABC from the 30,000 mt ABC in the proposed rule to 33,000 mt in the final rule.
  • Changes the Illex closure threshold to 94 percent from 95 percent.
  • Reaffirms the previously approved 2021 through 2022 chub mackerel specifications.

For more information, read the final rule as filed today in the Federal Register and our bulletin.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed Rule for the 2021-2023 Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Specifications

May 26, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries proposes Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish quotas for the 2021-2023 fishing years and reaffirms 2021 chub mackerel specifications as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

This action would:

  • Maintain the 2020 specifications through 2022 for Atlantic mackerel, (19,184 mt ABC), through 2021 for Illex squid (30,000 mt ABC), through 2023 for longfin squid (23,400 mt ABC).
  • Reduce the butterfish allowable catch by 72 percent, from the current 22,752 mt to 6,350 mt in for the remainder of 2021. Allowable catch for butterfish in 2022 would increase to 11,495 mt. Given recent catch trends, this reduction is not expected to negatively impact the commercial fishing industry.
  • Maintain the 3,884 mt butterfish catch cap in the longfin squid fishery.
  • Implement 48-hour Illex reporting after July 15 for commercial dealers for the remainder of the fishing year (the current requirement is weekly reporting.).
  • Change the Illex closure threshold to 94 percent from 95 percent.
  • Reaffirm the previously approved 2021 through 2022 chub mackerel specifications.

Read the proposed rule as published today in the Federal Register. Supporting documents for this rule are available on the MAFMC website.

Comments on this rule must be received by 5 pm on June 10, 2021 and may be submitted though the online portal.

Questions?

Industry: Aly Pitts, Regional Office, 978-281-9352

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

Reminder: Requirements for the Limited Access Atlantic Mackerel Fishery

March 31, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In order to participate in the Atlantic mackerel fishery you must follow certain notification, reporting, and monitoring requirements.

General requirements are below:

For more information and additional requirements please read our bulletin.

Questions?

Industry: Contact Aly Pitts, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9352

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

  • Submit weekly vessel trip reports (VTRs) for all permits.
  • Provide 48-hr pre-trip notification to retain more than 20,000 lb (9.07 mt) of mackerel.
  • Please call Sara Weeks at 508-642-6005 for a mackerel trip that will not be catching and retaining herring. For a trip that would be a herring or groundfish combination trip with mackerel, please notify NOAA Fisheries via PTNS at least 48 hours prior to beginning any trip to be considered for monitoring coverage.
    • Enter trips up to, but no more than, 10 days in advance.
    • Login with your vessel permit number and Fish Online PIN.
    • Call the Fish Online Help Desk at 978-281-9188 if you need a PIN.
    • Enter your fishery, trip type, sail date, port of departure, trip length, and gear type.
    • Call the PTNS Help Desk at 855-FISHES-1 if you need assistance or have questions.
  • Declare trips via VMS and submit daily catch reporting via VMS for limited access mackerel vessels
  • Provide 6-hr pre-landing notification via VMS to land over 20,000 lb (9.07 mt) of mackerel

NOAA Fisheries Implements Atlantic Chub Mackerel Measures

August 3, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries implements measures adopted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council as part of Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan to manage chub mackerel.

Because a directed fishery for Atlantic chub mackerel recently emerged in the Mid-Atlantic, in 2018 the Mid-Atlantic Council implemented initial measures to maintain existing catch levels while it developed a long-term management approach. In the intervening 3 years, the Council has collected more detailed information on chub mackerel and has developed management measures to help achieve and maintain the sustainability of the chub mackerel resource.

This action designates essential fish habitat; sets catch limits for 2020-2022; and implements an annual catch limit, accountability measures, possession limits, permitting and reporting requirements, and other administrative measures for Atlantic chub mackerel caught from Maine through North Carolina.

For more details, please read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register or the bulletin describing final measures. Supporting analysis for this rule is available on the Council’s website.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Proposes Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Quotas for the 2020 Fishing Year

December 17, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The proposed action would:

  • Rollover the 2019 Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) level (29,184 mt) to 2020 for Atlantic mackerel;
  • Update the Atlantic mackerel recreational deduction to include updated catch accounting methodology from 1,209 mt to 1,270 mt for 2020 to help avoid an ABC overage;
  • Maintain the 129 mt river herring and shad catch cap and eliminate the initial 89-mt trigger provision that would close the fishery if 89 mt of river herring and shad were observed to be caught before 10,000 lb of mackerel has been caught; and
  • Maintain the previously approved 2020 specifications for Illex squid (26,000 mt ABC), longfin squid (23,400 mt ABC) and butterfish (32,063 mt ABC), including the 3,884 mt butterfish catch cap in the longfin squid fishery.

Read the proposed rule as published today in the Federal Register. Supporting documents for this rule are available on the MAFMC website.

To submit comments, please use the Federal e-rulemaking portal, or send comments by regular mail to Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA, 01930. Please mark the outside of the envelope, “Comments on the Proposed Rule for 2020 Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Specifications.”

Comments are due by 5 pm January 16, 2020.

Reminder: Longfin Squid Incidental Catch Permit Application

December 12, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We approved Amendment 20 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan on October 22, 2018. This action created a new Tier 3 longfin squid incidental moratorium permit.

How Do I Qualify for a Longfin Squid Moratorium Tier 3 Permit (SMB1C)?

To qualify for an SMB1C longfin squid permit, a vessel must have been issued an open access SMB3 permit and landed at least 5,000 lb of longfin squid in any year during 1997-2013. We will use available dealer landings data to determine whether a vessel qualifies for a SMB1C permit. To be issued the new Tier 3 longfin squid incidental permit, vessel owners must apply for this new permit by February 29, 2020.

Where Do I Get an Application?

The application form is available online and will also be mailed to you. For more information see our bulletin.