



U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of interactions that result in incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.
Category |
II |
Estimated Number of Participants |
633 |
Target Species |
bluefish, croaker, monkfish, summer flounder (fluke), winter flounder, silver hake (whiting), spiny dogfish, smooth dogfish, scup, and black sea bass. The nearshore fishery targets Atlantic croaker, weakfish, butterfish, harvestfish, bluefish, menhaden, striped bass, kingfish species, and other finfish species; the deeper water fisheries target bluefish, Atlantic mackerel, Loligo squid, black sea bass, and scup |
Applicable Take Reduction Plans |
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Observer Coverage |
During the period 1996-2013, estimated percent observer coverage (measured in trips) for the Mixed Groundfish Bottom Trawl Fishery was 0.24, 0.22, 0.15, 0.14,1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 7, 5 and 6 respectively. During the period 1996-2013, estimated percent observer coverage (trips) in the Illex Fishery was 3.7, 6.21, 0.97, 2.84, 11.11, 0, 0, 8.74, 5.07, 6, 15, 14, 5, 10, 14, 11, 1 and 1.47 respectively. During the period 1996-2013, estimated percent observer coverage (trips) of the Loligo Fishery was 0.37, 1.07, 0.72, 0.69, 0.61, 0.95, 0.42, 0.65, 5.07, 4, 3, 2, 2, 7, 8, 11, 4 and 7 respectively. During the period 1997-2013, estimated percent observer coverage (trips) of the domestic Atlantic Mackerel Fishery was 0.81, 0, 1.14, 4.90, 3.43, 0.97, 5.04, 18.61, 0, 3, 2, 0, 8, 11, 8, 20 and 4 respectively. Observer coverage for 2010-2013 includes both observers and at-sea monitors. |
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured |
Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore Common dolphin, WNA1 Gray seal, WNA1 Harbor seal, WNA Risso’s dolphin, WNA1 White-sided dolphin, WNA |
^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.
* Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).
1 Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.
The total mortality and serious injury of common dolphins (Western North Atlantic [WNA] stock), gray seals (WNA) and Risso's dolphins (WNA) in this fishery is greater than 1% and less than 50% of each of the stocks’ PBR.
The fishery occurs year-round from all waters due east from the NC/SC border to the EEZ and north to Cape Cod, MA in waters west of 70° W. long. In areas where 70° W. long. is east of the EEZ, the EEZ serves as the eastern boundary. The nearshore fishery operates from October to April inside of 30 fathoms (180 ft; 55 m) from NJ to NC. Flynet fishing is no longer permitted in Federal waters south of Cape Hatteras in order to protect weakfish stocks. The offshore component operates from November to April outside of 30 fathoms (180 ft; 55 m) from the Hudson Canyon off NY, south to Hatteras Canyon off NC.
This fishery uses bottom trawl gear. Gear types such as flynets utilized in the mid-Atlantic region. The Mid-Atlantic bottom trawls using flynets target species through nearshore and offshore components that operate along the east coast of the mid-Atlantic United States. Flynets typically range from 80–120 ft (24–36.6 m) in headrope length, with wing mesh sizes of 16–64 in (41–163 cm), following a slow 3:1 taper to smaller mesh sizes in the body, extension, and codend sections of the net.
There are at least two distinct components to this fishery. One is the mixed groundfish bottom trawl fishery. It is managed by several federal and state FMPs that range from Massachusetts to North Carolina. The relevant FMPs include, but may not be limited to, Monkfish (FR 68(81), 50 CFR Part 648); Spiny Dogfish (FR 65(7), 50 CFR Part 648); Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass (FR 68(1), 50 CFR part 648); and Northeast Skate Complex (FR 68(160), 50 CFR part 648). The second major component is the squid, mackerel, butterfish fishery. This component is managed by the federal Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish FMP. The Illex and Loligo Squid Fisheries are managed by moratorium permits, gear and area restrictions, quotas, and trip limits. The Atlantic Mackerel and Atlantic Butterfish Fisheries are managed by an annual quota system.
(Squid, Mackerel, Butterfish Bottom Trawl) Total effort, measured in trips, for the domestic Atlantic Mackerel Fishery in the Mid-Atlantic Region (bottom trawl only) from 1997 to 2013 was 373, 278, 262, 102, 175, 310, 238, 231, 0, 117, 88, 0, 66, 19, 13, 15, and 28 respectively (NMFS). Total effort, measured in trips, for the Illex Squid Fishery from 1998 to 2012 was 412, 141, 108, 51, 39, 103, 445, 181, 159, 103, 172, 177, 231, 232, 151 and 57 respectively (NMFS). Total effort, measured in trips, for the Loligo Squid Fishery from 1998 to 2013 was 1,048, 495, 529, 413, 3,585, 1,848, 1,124, 1,845, 3,058, 2,137, 2,578, 2,234, 2.039, 2,157, 3,186 and 2,205 respectively (NOAA Fisheries). Atlantic Butterfish is a bycatch (non-directed) fishery; therefore effort on this species will not be reported. The number of days absent from port, or days at sea, is yet to be determined.
Original Category (Year added to the LOF) |
III (1996) |
Original Number of Participants |
>1,000 |
Basis for Original Classification |
This fishery was listed as Category III because there was no observer, logbook, or stranding data available for the fishery at the time. |
Past Names |
Mid-Atlantic mixed species trawl until 2005. |
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list) |
Long-finned pilot whale, WNA; short-finned pilot whale, WNA. |
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