December 10, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has closed the U.S. Atlantic mackerel fishery for the rest of 2024 after determining that 100 percent of the allowable annual harvest has already been caught.
The closure comes amid concern over the sustainability of the Atlantic mackerel stock, which is listed as overfished by NOAA Fisheries and has been managed under a rebuilding program since November 2019.
May 6, 2024 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has scheduled three New England-focused webinar port meetings to gather stakeholder perspectives on the future of the king and Spanish mackerel fisheries given that changing environmental conditions are altering fishery dynamics.
New England: The New England-focused meetings, which all begin at 6:00 p.m., will be held:
Webinar registration is required. Visit the South Atlantic Council’s website for registration links and other information.
The South Atlantic Council said, “Input gathered during these port meetings will directly affect future management efforts for king and Spanish mackerel.”
Mid-Atlantic: A Mid-Atlantic-focused in-person port meeting will be held June 4, 2024 in Riverhead, New York in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s scheduled June meeting.
QUESTIONS? Please contact the South Atlantic Council’s Christina Wiegand at Christina.Wiegand@safmc.net.
November 11, 2021 — Over the last few decades local fish has become harder to source for coastal communities, but covid-19 has changed that. Local food systems, including fisheries, have been thriving in the lockdowns, and educators are starting to notice. Small-scale fishermen and local distributors are meeting with students from high schools and colleges all around the coasts.
In August and September, one such group from Sterling College in northern Vermont visited Downeast Maine to learn about local fisheries, seaweed gathering, and aquaculture.
Read the full story at National Fisherman
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
September 27, 2021 — Setting catch levels for Northeast Atlantic pelagic stocks above the established scientific advice year-on-year is an unacceptable threat to shared-stock fisheries, the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) has warned fisheries ministers ahead of next month’s North Atlantic Coastal States Meeting 2021.
In an open letter to coastal states ministers and their delegations, NAPA states that its collective – as a major purchaser of Northeast Atlantic pelagics – wants to see coastal states taking a leadership position and commit to science-based management of Northeast Atlantic mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring, and Northeast Atlantic blue whiting.
Read the full story at Seafood Source
July 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries has begun an ambitious assessment of small pelagic fish reaching from the Canadian border to the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, in cooperation with Mexico, which will help determine how many fish can be caught off the West Coast.
The COVID-19 pandemic had idled surveys for sardine, anchovy, and other species of small coastal pelagic species (CPS) off the West Coast since 2019. Small pelagic species are important ecologically and provide food for larger fish, such as tunas. The new assessment resumes regular CPS surveys by collecting data from NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker, commercial fishing vessels equipped with acoustic technology, and autonomous Saildrones.
The Lasker left San Diego on July 6, becoming the centerpiece of the 3-month survey. It will cover thousands of miles in U.S., and Mexican waters. NOAA Fisheries scientists are coordinating efforts with federal fisheries agencies in Mexico and Canada, providing a science foundation for future decisions on fishing levels and seasons.
“Organizing and coordinating this survey was a tremendous feat of collaboration,” said Kristen Koch, Director of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, which is leading the survey. “Collecting data across all three countries will provide a valuable foundation for management of these important transboundary species.”
The Lasker will survey coastal pelagic fish along transects in the California Current, quantifying the fish with echosounders. These instruments include an advanced new model that can for the first time also measure the velocities of fish as they swim relative to the ship. The measurements will help to understand whether and how fish respond to survey vessels and if those reactions affect the quality of data on the numbers and distributions of fish.
July 19, 2021 — Kids are getting down and dirty with hands-on activities through Sea Lab’s summer program.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from Woods Hole Laboratory arrived at the school in the South End with a truck load of fish for advanced levels to dissect. Ranging from flounder to mackerel to butterfish, students learned to look at both the external and internal characteristics to determine its diet based on stomach contents.
“Based on how big the mouth is, and how sharp the teeth is, the bigger the diet,” said Mia Colangelo, a rising ninth-grader.
Simone Bourgeois, Sea Lab facilitator, was thrilled to include NOAA in the curriculum.
“To offer Sea Lab opportunities to measure, weight and analyze contents, it’s a pathway for the future, to have our students participate in the analysis of fish on Buzzards Bay,” Bourgeois said.
Two biological science technicians, Christine Kircun and Josh Dayton, were helping students identify difference between fish. Kircun said NOAA is a large part of the fishing industry, and New Bedford a large fishing port.
July 6, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
The summer fishing season is in mid-swing. Perhaps you’re planning to head offshore this weekend to target Red Snapper during this year’s July 9-11 mini season. Whether you’re bottom fishing or trolling for Dolphin (mahi), Wahoo or maybe a mackerel or two, as a responsible angler, planning your offshore fishing trip includes knowing the rules and regulations and incorporating best fishing practices.
Know the Rules
Keep up with the latest regulations by downloading the free Fish Rules mobile app. The app provides reliable state and federal saltwater recreational regulations from Maine to Texas based on your location. Going out of cell phone range? Check for updates before you leave the dock and manually select your location offshore to see relevant regulations.
Targeting reef fish? Make sure you have a descending device on board and ready for use. There are also specific hook requirements. Regulations specific to fishing for species in the snapper grouper management complex, including Red Snapper, went into effect in July 2020 for federal waters and are intended to encourage best fishing practices. Dehookers are also required on board.
Best Practices – Plan Ahead
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Best Fishing Practices webpage provides anglers with important information to consider for each fishing trip, including an online tutorial to test your knowledge. The tips below are also outlined in detail.
Odds are you’ve marked a few spots on your GPS as you get ready for your next offshore trip. Remember to make a plan to move on once bag limits are met. Odds are also good that you’ll need to release fish due to size or trip limits. Plan ahead and have the appropriate gear on board to safely release those fish. Have rubberized gloves and nets handy to avoid removing slime. If targeting snapper grouper species, remember that a descending device is required on board along with the use of specific hooks and a dehooker.
Know how to properly handle the fish. Once on the water, have your camera or cell phone ready and minimize the time the fish is on deck. Avoid dropping the fish on deck and release the fish without removing it from the water if possible.
Best Practices for Deep Water Release – avoid “floaters”
No one wants to release a fish only to watch it float away. Fish caught in deeper water may suffer from barotrauma, the expansion of gases after rapidly being reeled up from depth. Barotrauma often makes it difficult for a fish to swim back down. Learn to recognize signs of barotrauma and assess the condition of the fish while you are reeling it in. If the fish appears sluggish, eyes are bulging, the stomach is protruding from its mouth or the mid-section appears bloated, it could be suffering from barotrauma.
Recompression by getting the fish back down to the depth it was caught as quickly as possible is key to ensuring the fish survives. It may be tempting, but do not puncture the stomach if it is protruding from the fish’s mouth. Instead, use your descending device as an easy and efficient way to return the fish to depth and release it. As a reminder, if the fish doesn’t show signs of barotrauma, the use if a descending device isn’t necessary.
Information about various types of descending devices and video instructions on how to rig them are available from the Council’s Best Fishing Practices webpage by clicking on the “Descending Device” tab. There’s even a video on how to make your own device using gear you might already have in your tackle box.
Get Involved – cooperate with Red Snapper sampling
The 2021 recreational season for Red Snapper in the South Atlantic opens this Friday, July 9th and closes on Sunday, July 11th. The daily bag limit is one fish per person with no minimum size limit. See the NOAA Fisheries Fishery Bulletin for details.
Each year, state marine resource agencies work to collect data from fishermen targeting Red Snapper. Cooperating with agency staff when you get back to the dock or the boat ramp will provide useful information. Allow samplers to collect biological samples. Assist by donating carcasses at drop off points. Data collected during the season from fishermen like you contribute to a better understanding of the Red Snapper stock and its continuing recovery.
South Atlantic Red Snapper Sampling 2021
June 25, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
What/When:
Why This Closure Is Happening:
During The Closure:
June 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
What/When:
The commercial harvest of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel (Atlantic Spanish mackerel) northern zone will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 28, 2021 and will re-open on March 1, 2022. The northern zone for Atlantic Spanish mackerel includes federal waters from North Carolina through New York. During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of Atlantic Spanish mackerel in or from the northern zone 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:
During the Closure:
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.