March 16, 2023 —
About 150 commercial fishing vessels use traps to capture sablefish in waters off California, Oregon and Washington.
The fisheries service estimates the fishery accidentally injuries or kills an average of one humpback whale per year.
Sablefish dwell on muddy ocean floors deeper than 650 feet (200 meters). To target the fish, fishermen place multiple heavy pots on the seafloor and link them together with heavy-duty fishing line.
May 14, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
We are approving and implementing the final 2019 and projected 2020-2021 specifications for the spiny dogfish fishery, as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils.
The specifications for the 2019 spiny dogfish fishery are a 46-percent reduction from fishing year 2018 to ensure overfishing does not occur. However, these quotas are projected to increase in 2020 and 2021 as the spiny dogfish biomass is expected to increase and the risk of overfishing declines. Below is a summary of the specifications. All other fishery management measures, including the 6,000-lb federal trip limit, will remain unchanged for fishing years 2019-2021.
For more details read the rule as filed in the Federal Register or the bulletin posted on our website.