FWC approves changes to commercial Spanish mackerel fishery in Atlantic waters

For immediate release: May 1, 2019

Media contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-404-6100 or Amanda.Nalley@MyFWC.com

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FWC approves changes to commercial Spanish mackerel fishery in Atlantic waters

At its May meeting near Tallahassee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved changes to the management of commercially-harvested Spanish mackerel in Atlantic waters. These changes will reduce confusion and concern about the fishery by aligning some regulations in state and federal waters while continuing to provide opportunities in state waters when federal waters are closed.  

Approved changes include:

• Re-establishing in-season vessel limit reductions for commercial Spanish mackerel harvest so that if the federal vessel limit is reduced to 1,500 pounds or 500 pounds, the state vessel limit will automatically be reduced.
• Clean up of regulatory language.

The FWC also chose to continue maintaining different weekday and weekend vessel limits starting Dec. 1, and to keep state waters open with a 500-pound vessel limit if federal waters close.

For effective dates, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Commercial Regulations” and “Mackerel, Spanish” for more.

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Photo courtesy of Carol Cox

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