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NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule to implement monkfish quotas for the 2025 fishing year, based on specifications approved by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. There were no annual catch limit overages in 2023, and there is no new biological information, so we are now finalizing the 2025 quotas that were previously announced in August 2023. These quotas are in effect from May 7, 2025 through April 30, 2026. Because this action will not be effective on the start of the fishing year, specifications from fishing year 2024 will roll over into fishing year 2025. The fishing year 2025 quotas implemented by this action are the same as the quotas being rolled over from fishing year 2024, so the May 7, 2025 effective date of this action will not disrupt the start of the Monkfish fishing year on May 1, 2025.
Table 1 – Specifications for Fishing Year 2025
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Management Area
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Northern Area
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Southern Area
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Acceptable Biological Catch
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6,224
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5,861
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Annual Catch Limit
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6,224
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5,861
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Management Uncertainty (3%)
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187
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176
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Annual Catch Target (Total Allowable Landings + discards)
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6,038
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5,685
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Expected Discards
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729
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2,205
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Total Allowable Landings
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5,309
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3,481
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All other requirements remain the same.
Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register today and the permit holder bulletin.
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