Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishing Year 2021 Catch Limits, Allocations to Sectors, and a New Universal Sector Exemption

July 27, 2021 - 8:45 am

We approved Framework Adjustment 61 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan and are announcing final quotas for fishing year 2021. This action also approves and implements a new universal sector exemption for Acadian redfish.

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New England/Mid-Atlantic

New England, Mid-Atlantic

Fishing Year 2021 Catch Limits

Framework 61 sets annual catch limits for 17 of the 20 groundfish stocks. Quotas for the U.S./Canada area are shown in Table 1. The 2021 catch limits are listed in Table 2. Sector annual catch entitlements (ACE) are shown in Table 3. These quotas replace those that were in effect at the beginning of the fishing year.

Sector and common pool quotas are based on the final fishing year 2021 rosters. The common pool possession limits announced for May 1, 2021, are not changed by this action. After we finalize fishing year 2020 catch information, we will subtract any sector or common pool overages in a separate action, if necessary.

Table 1. 2021 Fishing Year U.S./Canada Quotas (mt, live weight) and Percent of Quota Allocated to Each Country

Quota	Eastern GB Cod	Eastern GB Haddock	GB Yellowtail Flounder
Quota	Eastern GB Cod	Eastern GB Haddock	GB Yellowtail Flounder	Total Shared Quota	635	14,100	125
U.S. Quota	190.5 (30%)	6,486 (46%)	80 (64%)
Canadian Quota	444.5 (70%)	7,614 (54%)	45 (36%)

Table 2. Fishing Year 2021 Catch Limits (mt, live weight)

Stock	Total ACL	Groundfish sub-ACL	Final Sector sub-ACL	Final Common Pool sub-ACL	Recreational sub-ACL	Midwater Trawl Fishery	Scallop Fishery	Small-Mesh Fisheries	State Waters sub- component	Other sub-component
Stock	A to H	A+B+C	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
GB Cod	1,250	1,093	1,045	48	-	-	-	-	20	137
GOM Cod	523	463	262	8.2	193	-	-	-	48	12
GB Haddock	78,574	76,622	74,096	2,526	-	1,539	-	-	0	414
GOM Haddock	15,843	15,575	10,023	258	5,295	156	-	-	56	56
GB Yellowtail Flounder	78	64	59	5.1	-	-	12	1.5	0.0	0.0
SNE/MA Yellowtail Flounder	21	16	12	3.6	-	-	2.0	-	0.2	3.3
CC/GOM Yellowtail Flounder	787	692	651	41	-	-	-	-	58	37
American Plaice	2,740	2,682	2,592	90	-	-	-	-	29	29
Witch Flounder	1,414	1,317	1,273	44	-	-	-	-	44	52
GB Winter Flounder	591	563	517	47	-	-	-	-	0	27
GOM Winter Flounder	482	281	267	14	-	-	-	-	194	7.5
SNE/MA Winter Flounder	441	288	247	41	-	-	-	-	21	132
Redfish	9,677	9,677	9,537	139	-	-	-	-	0	0
White Hake	2,041	2,019	1,994	25	-	-	-	-	11	11
Pollock	21,086	18,549	18,355	193	-	-	-	-	1,434	1,103
N. Windowpane Flounder	150	108	na	108	-	-	31	-	0.8	10
S. Windowpane Flounder	371	43	na	43	-	-	129	-	23	177
Ocean Pout	83	50	na	50	-	-	-	-	0	33
Atlantic Halibut	97	73	na	73	-	-	-	-	20	3.5
Atlantic Wolffish	86	86	na	86	-	-	-	-	0	0

na: not allocated to sectors. ACL = annual catch limit, GB = Georges Bank, GOM = Gulf of Maine, SNE/MA = Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic, CC/GOM = Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine, N = northern, S = southern.

Table 3. ACE (in 1,000 lb), by stock, for each sector for fishing year 2021^{#^}

Sector Name	GB Cod East	GB Cod West	GOM Cod	GB Haddock East	GB Haddock West	GOM Haddock	GB Yellowtail Flounder	SNE/MA Yellowtail Flounder	CC/GOM Yellowtail Flounder	Plaice	Witch Flounder	GB Winter Flounder	GOM Winter Flounder	SNE/MA Winter Flounder	Redfish	White Hake	Pollock
Fixed Gear Sector	54	257	4	281	3,035	41	0	0	26	30	32	0	50	7	122	48	1,395
Maine Coast Community Sector	10	49	85	489	5,284	2,516	4	1	76	822	323	15	34	13	2,074	637	5,501
Maine Permit Bank	1	3	7	6	69	255	0	0	5	69	21	0	3	0	175	74	693
Mooncusser Sector	50	238	37	548	5,923	836	2	0	46	51	53	12	18	16	1,012	475	4,305
NEFS 2	27	129	159	1,528	16,524	5,040	3	1	382	662	425	40	152	27	3,242	400	5,945
NEFS 4	31	147	66	832	8,995	2,012	3	1	97	563	257	9	46	6	1,424	368	2,807
NEFS 5	2	9	2	83	898	26	1	6	14	27	19	4	5	72	4	4	16
NEFS 6	13	62	17	513	5,545	997	5	2	64	269	174	21	29	12	1,453	201	1,499
NEFS 7	2	9	0	57	614	4	2	0	1	15	7	4	0	1	34	4	74
NEFS 8	41	194	14	1,315	14,217	1,153	31	3	105	450	185	369	24	65	1,134	200	1,637
NEFS 10	2	10	15	25	273	291	0	0	65	64	59	0	56	4	71	29	312
NEFS 11	2	8	69	5	54	632	0	0	37	94	47	0	13	0	401	192	3,587
NEFS 12	3	13	19	13	145	247	0	0	131	47	18	0	82	2	49	13	318
NEFS 13	53	252	5	3,053	33,015	222	51	8	107	517	281	241	14	112	946	101	1,107
New Hampshire Permit Bank	0	0	7	0	0	7	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	4	4	46
Sustainable Harvest Sector 1	23	111	18	1,080	11,681	2,047	4	0	43	672	270	97	16	19	1,761	565	2,643
Sustainable Harvest Sector 2	15	73	10	258	2,795	339	7	2	87	171	71	108	26	53	242	85	523
Sustainable Harvest Sector 3	71	338	44	3,741	40,458	5,434	16	2	147	1,190	564	219	19	138	6,879	999	8,059
Common Pool	18	87	18	471	5,097	569	11	8	91	199	97	103	31	90	307	55	426
Sector Total	402	1,903	578	13,828	149,527	22,097	129	26	1,434	5,714	2,807	1,139	589	545	21,026	4,396	40,467

# Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds. In some cases, this table shows an allocation of 0, but that sector may be allocated a small amount of that stock in tens or hundreds pounds.

^ The data in the table represent the total allocations to each sector.

Universal Sector Exemption for Acadian Redfish

Framework 61 implements a new universal sector exemption that allows sector vessels to target redfish within a defined area (see below) using a 5.5-inch mesh codend. The universal sector exemption replaces the previously approved sector exemption for redfish, which is being eliminated to prevent conflict and confusion between two similar exemptions. The approved universal exemption includes two seasonal closure areas in the redfish exemption area, an annual redfish catch threshold and monthly catch and discard thresholds each sector must meet, and provisions that require sectors to be placed in probationary status and/or have their vessels prohibited from using the universal exemption if the sector falls below catch thresholds or exceed discard thresholds. Participants must comply with all reporting and monitoring requirements of the universal exemption. Requirements of the program and conditions for participation will be detailed in each sector’s operations plan and sector vessel letters of authorization.