Effective January 1, 2024
NOAA Fisheries is implementing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended catch specifications for the 2024 and 2025 bluefish fishery. These final specifications, shown below, were developed using the 2023 stock assessment and bluefish rebuilding plan, and decrease all catch limits in 2024, followed by a projected increase in 2025.
Comparison of 2023, Final 2024, and Projected 2025 Bluefish Specifications, in million pounds.*
|
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025 (Projected)
|
|
Overfishing Limit
|
45.17
|
25.87
|
27.49
|
|
ABC = Fishery ACL
|
30.62
|
17.48
|
21.83
|
|
Commercial ACL = ACT
|
4.29
|
2.45
|
3.06
|
|
Recreational ACL = ACT
|
26.34
|
15.03
|
18.78
|
|
Commercial Discards
|
0
|
0.02
|
0.02
|
|
Recreational Accountability Measures
|
5.59
|
0
|
0
|
|
Recreational Discards
|
6.64
|
3.08
|
3.08
|
|
Commercial Total Allowable Landings (TAL)
|
4.29
|
2.42
|
3.03
|
|
Recreational TAL
|
14.11
|
11.96
|
15.70
|
|
Sector Transfer
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Commercial Quota
|
4.29
|
2.42
|
3.03
|
|
RHL
|
14.11
|
11.96
|
15.70
|
*Specifications are derived from the ABC in metric tons (mt). When values are converted to millions of pounds the numbers may slightly shift due to rounding. The conversion factor used is 1 mt = 2204.6226 lb.
The commercial fishery state allocations (shown below) are based on the final coast-wide commercial quota and the phased-in changes to the allocated percentages to the states defined in the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan specified in Amendment 7. No states exceeded their state allocated quota in 2022 or are projected to do so in 2023, so no adjustments are necessary for the 2024 commercial fishery.
Final 2024 and Projected 2025 Bluefish State Commercial Quota Allocations.
|
|
2024 (Final)
|
2025 (Projected)
|
|
State
|
Percent Share
|
Quota (pounds)
|
Percent Share
|
Quota (pounds)
|
|
Maine
|
0.43
|
10,388
|
0.35
|
10,575
|
|
New Hampshire
|
0.33
|
7,975
|
0.30
|
9,116
|
|
Massachusetts
|
8.17
|
198,025
|
8.66
|
262,473
|
|
Rhode Island
|
8.01
|
194,025
|
8.41
|
254,876
|
|
Connecticut
|
1.19
|
28,821
|
1.16
|
35,284
|
|
New York
|
14.40
|
348,947
|
15.74
|
477,171
|
|
New Jersey
|
14.40
|
348,898
|
14.26
|
432,316
|
|
Delaware
|
1.29
|
31,139
|
1.09
|
32,966
|
|
Maryland
|
2.54
|
61,471
|
2.38
|
72,213
|
|
Virginia
|
9.30
|
225,380
|
8.44
|
255,939
|
|
North Carolina
|
32.05
|
776,452
|
32.04
|
971,305
|
|
South Carolina
|
0.06
|
1,561
|
0.07
|
2,248
|
|
Georgia
|
0.05
|
1,194
|
0.06
|
1,895
|
|
Florida
|
7.80
|
188,899
|
7.04
|
213,469
|
|
Total
|
100
|
2,422,880
|
100
|
3,031,356
|
All other management measures and requirements, including the recreational daily bag limit of 3 fish per person for private anglers and 5 fish per person for for-hire (charter/party) vessels, remain unchanged.
For more details on this action, please read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register and the bulletin posted on our website.
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