The Northeast skate complex fishery in the Greater Atlantic Region includes seven skate species and operates from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and from inshore to offshore waters on the edge of the continental shelf. Skate is mostly harvested incidentally in trawl and gillnet fisheries targeting groundfish, monkfish, and sometimes scallops.
The Northeast skate complex fishery consists of seven species: Winter skate, barndoor skate, thorny skate, smooth skate, little skate, clearnose skate, and rosette skat).
The primary target species in the skate fishery are winter and little skates. Winter skates are harvested for their wings for human consumption, and little skates are harvested as bait for lobster fisheries. Thorny skate is currently a prohibited species. Possession and landing of barndoor skate is prohibited in the bait fishery.
Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 648 subpart O. Find out more about Managing Sustainable Fisheries in the Greater Atlantic Region.
SAFE Reports
Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports are documents or sets of documents that summarize the best scientific information available for federally managed fish stocks. This includes information concerning the biological condition of stocks and marine ecosystems, essential fish habitat (EFH), and the socioeconomic condition of commercial and recreational fisheries. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires that SAFE reports be made available on a publicly accessible website to facilitate use of the information. Skate SAFE report documents are available on the New England Fishery Management Council's website.