Saving Seafood

SAFMC King and Spanish Mackerel Port Meetings Continue in the Mid-Atlantic Region

November 14, 2024 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

A series of port meetings are being hosted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and state partners along the Atlantic coast throughout 2024. The meetings are being held to gather input on Atlantic King Mackerel and Atlantic Spanish Mackerel fisheries, managed through the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fishery Management Plan along the entire Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico. 

The November port meetings will be held next week in Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. Meetings include discussion of a variety of issues related to the mackerel fisheries including changing environmental conditions, needed management changes, and commercial and recreational fishery dynamics. 

Attendees will have the chance to actively discuss their perspectives with other fishery participants and South Atlantic Council staff. The informal meetings allow stakeholders to share their insights and help determine the future of these fisheries. A list of goals and objectives for the port meetings is available from the South Atlantic Council’s website.

Meetings were held in North Carolina in April, New England in May, New York in June, Georgia in July, and Florida and South Carolina in early October. 

Upcoming Port Meetings

Note: All meetings will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

  1. Monday, November 18th, 2024 – Virginia Beach, VA. Brock Environmental Center – Oyster Conference Room, 3663 Marlin Bay Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.
  2. Tuesday, November 19th, 2024 – White Stone, VA. Town of White Stone Town Hall Building, 433 Rappahannock Drive, White Stone, VA 22578.
  3. Wednesday, November 20th. 2024 – Berlin, MD. Worcester County Library Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Avenue, Berlin, MD 21811.
  4. Thursday, November 21st, 2024 – Manahawkin, NJ. Stafford Township Administration Building, 260 East Bay Avenue, Manahawkin, NJ 08050.

Those interested in attending a port meeting are encouraged to sign up using the online form. 

Questions? Contact Christina Wiegand at Christina.Wiegand@safmc.net. 

Atlantic Spanish Mackerel Southern Zone Commercial Trip Limit Reduction to 500 pounds on January 27, 2019

January 24, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

  • The daily trip limit for the commercial harvest of Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the southern zone is reduced from 1,500 to 500 pounds effective 6:00 a.m., local time, on January 27, 2019.
  • The southern zone includes federal waters off the states of South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida. The boundary for the southern zone is the North Carolina/South Carolina border and the Monroe/Miami-Dade Counties, Florida, border.

WHY THIS TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION IS HAPPENING:

  • The March 2018 through February 2019 commercial catch limit for the Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel southern zone is 2,667,330 pounds, and the adjusted commercial catch limit is 2,417,330 pounds.
  • When commercial landings of Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the southern zone reach or are projected to reach 100 percent of the adjusted commercial catch limit, the daily trip limit is reduced to 500 pounds. The trip limit reduction is necessary to slow the rate of commercial harvest to avoid exceeding the commercial catch limit.

AFTER THE TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION:

The 500 pound commercial trip limit will remain in effect until the end of the current fishing season on February 28, 2019, or when 100 percent of the commercial catch limit is reached or projected to be reached, whichever occurs first.

If 100 percent of the commercial catch limit is reached or projected to be reached, NMFS will close the commercial sector in the southern zone for the remainder of the fishing year.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov.

Commercial Closure in Federal Waters for Atlantic Migratory Group Spanish Mackerel Northern Zone on November 4, 2018

November 5, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

The commercial harvest of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel northern zone in federal waters will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 4, 2018, and will re-open on March 1, 2019. The northern zone for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel includes federal waters from North Carolina through New York. During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of Spanish mackerel in or from the northern zone federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open, but those fish may not be sold.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial quota for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel northern zone. According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the quota from being exceeded.

DURING THE CLOSURE:

  • The prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for Spanish mackerel does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, November 4, 2018, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • During the closure, a person on board a vessel that has been issued a valid Federal commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit for coastal migratory pelagic fish may continue to retain Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in the northern zone under the recreational bag and possession limits, as long as the recreational sector for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel is open.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=38b00fbc079181f330b3d8428a1d8fea&mc=true&n=pt50.12.622&r=PART&ty=HTML#sp50.12.622.q.