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NOAA Fisheries is setting the 2022 specifications for the Atlantic mackerel fishery in federal waters through the end of the fishing year on December 31, 2022.
Effective at 0001 hour on January 7, 2022, the allowable commercial catch will be reduced from 17,312 mt to 4,963 mt through December 31, 2022. The commercial fishery incidental possession limit of 5,000 lb that was effective on October 15, 2021, is no longer effective as of 0001 hour on January 1, 2022. The Atlantic mackerel possession limits are: Unlimited for limited access Tier 1 commercial permits; 135,000 lb per trip for Tier 2 permits; 100,000 lb per trip for Tier 3 permits; and 20,000 lb per trip for open access incidental permits.
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 these measures to minimize additional catch for the current fishing year while the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council revises the current mackerel rebuilding plan for 2023. This reduction is considered to be sufficient to prevent vessels from targeting Atlantic mackerel while still allowing vessels to retain some mackerel caught when targeting other species. This reduction is also not expected to substantially change overall effort or harvest levels, which have been well below the commercial quota in recent years.
For more information, please read the notice as filed in the Federal Register, and the permit holder bulletin posted on our website. Comments on this rule must be received by 5 p.m. on February 11, 2022, and may be submitted though the online portal when the rule publishes on January 12.
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