NOAA Fisheries announces final 2022 and projected 2023 specifications for the Northeast skate fishery, based on the New England Fishery Management Council’s recommendations and a 2021 data update. These specifications increase both the wing and bait fishery quotas by 18 percent in fishing year 2022, and specifications for 2023 are projected to be unchanged.
Summary of Final 2022-2023 Skate Fishery Specifications, in metric tons.
| 2022-2023 | |
| Acceptable Biological Catch = Annual Catch Limit | 37,236 |
| Annual Catch Target | 33,513 |
| Overall Fishery Total Allowable Landings (TAL) | 21,142 |
| Wing TAL (66.5% of Overall TAL) | 14,059 |
| Wing Season 1 TAL (57% of Wing TAL) | 8,014 |
| Wing Season 2 TAL | 6,045 |
| Bait TAL (33.5% of Overall TAL) | 7,082 |
| Bait Season 1 TAL (30.8% of Bait TAL) | 2,181 |
| Bait Season 2 TAL (37.1% of Bait TAL) | 2,627 |
| Bait Season 3 TAL | 2,274 |
All other management measures and requirements, including the commercial trip limits for the wing and bait fisheries, remain unchanged.
