NOAA Fisheries announces final 2022 and projected 2023 specifications for the Atlantic bluefish fishery (shown below), based on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommendations, a 2021 assessment update, and the measures implemented by Amendment 7 to the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan. These specifications increase both the commercial quota and recreational harvest limit, in accordance with the rebuilding plan for the stock.
Comparison of Fishing Year 2021, Final 2022, and Projected 2023 Bluefish Specifications, in millions of pounds.
|
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Overfishing Limit |
32.98 |
40.56 |
45.17 |
|
Acceptable Biological Catch = Annual Catch Limit (ACL) |
16.28 |
25.26 |
30.62 |
|
Commercial ACL = Commercial Annual Catch Target (ACT) |
2.77 |
3.54 |
4.29 |
|
Recreational ACL = Recreational ACT |
13.51 |
21.73 |
26.34 |
|
Commercial Total Allowable Landings (TAL) |
2.77 |
3.54 |
4.29 |
|
Recreational TAL |
8.34 |
13.89 |
22.14 |
|
Sector Transfer |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Commercial Quota |
2.77 |
3.54 |
4.29 |
|
Recreational Harvest Limit |
8.34 |
13.89 |
22.14 |
The final commercial fishery state allocations 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 2020 or 2021, so no adjustments are necessary for the 2022 commercial fishery at this time.
Final 2022 and Projected 2023 Bluefish State Commercial Quota Allocations.
|
|
2022 |
2023 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
State |
Percent Share |
Quota (pounds) |
Percent Share |
Quota (pounds) |
|
Maine |
0.59 |
20,819 |
0.51 |
21,807 |
|
New Hampshire |
0.39 |
13,655 |
0.36 |
15,331 |
|
Massachusetts |
7.20 |
254,748 |
7.69 |
329,578 |
|
Rhode Island |
7.21 |
254,956 |
7.61 |
326,165 |
|
Connecticut |
1.24 |
43,885 |
1.22 |
52,094 |
|
New York |
11.72 |
414,693 |
13.06 |
560,031 |
|
New Jersey |
14.68 |
519,158 |
14.54 |
623,295 |
|
Delaware |
1.68 |
59,442 |
1.48 |
63,572 |
|
Maryland |
2.85 |
100,698 |
2.69 |
115,409 |
|
Virginia |
11.02 |
389,802 |
10.16 |
435,625 |
|
North Carolina |
32.06 |
1,133,855 |
32.05 |
1,374,077 |
|
South Carolina |
0.04 |
1,590 |
0.05 |
2,344 |
|
Georgia |
0.02 |
805 |
0.04 |
1,544 |
|
Florida |
9.31 |
329,137 |
8.55 |
366,585 |
|
Total |
100.00 |
3,537,096 |
100.01 |
4,287,109 |
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.
