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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.
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