Mid-Atlantic Haul/Beach Seine Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

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.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Current Classification on the List of Fisheries

Category	II
Estimated Number of Participants	359
Target Species	Striped bass, mullet, spot, weakfish, sea trout, bluefish, kingfish, and harvestfish
Applicable Take Reduction Plans	Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (BDTRP)
Observer Coverage	North Carolina beach-based fishing has been observed since April 7, 1998 by the NMFS Fisheries Sampling Program (Observer Program) based at the NEFSC and the North Carolina Alternate Platform Observer Program. The numbers of observed beach seine sets from 1998 to 2008 were 63, 60, 52, 12, 6, 23, 36, 29, 9, 27, and 39. Overall, there has been very limited observer coverage by the NEFSC and the NC Alternate Platform Observer program.
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured	Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system¹ Bottlenose dolphin, Northern migratory coastal¹ Bottlenose dolphin, Southern migratory coastal¹

^ 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.

Basis for Current Classification

The 2010 LOF included a superscript “1” following bottlenose dolphin (WNA coastal stock) because the annual mortality and serious injury of that stock in this fishery was greater than 1% and less than 50% of the stock’s Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level. When the stocks of bottlenose dolphins killed/injured in this fishery were updated on the 2011 LOF, the superscript “1” was retained after each of these stocks because NOAA Fisheries cannot yet differentiate to which stock a killed/injured animal belongs. Until NOAA Fisheries is able to do so, each stock of bottlenose dolphin is considered to be driving the classification of the fishery.

Distribution

This fishery operates in waters west of 72° 30'W. long. and north of a line extending due east from the North Carolina/South Carolina border and includes haul seining in other areas of the mid-Atlantic, including Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. The North Carolina Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass fishery operates primarily along the Outer Banks using small and large mesh nets and primarily during the fall and winter months.

Gear Description

This fishery uses seines with one end secured (e.g., swipe nets and long seines); both ends secured; or those anchored to hauled up on the beach. The beach seine system is generally constructed of a wash, wing, and bunt that are attached to the beach and extend into the surf and are traditionally used to encircle or encompass fish. The fishery occurs in waters west of 72° 30′ W. long. and north of a line extending due east from the North Carolina/South Carolina border. The only haul/beach seine gear operating in North Carolina included in this Category II fishery is the ‘‘Atlantic Ocean striped bass beach seine fishery’’ during the winter, as regulated by North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission rules (NCDMF) and NCDMF proclamations. NCDMF defines a beach seine operating under the Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass beach seine fishery as a ‘‘swipe net constructed of multifilament, multifiber webbing fished from the ocean beach that is deployed from a vessel launched from the ocean beach where the fishing operation takes place, and one end of the beach seine is attached to the shore at all times during the operation.’’ All other NC small and large mesh beach- anchored gillnets with webbing constructed of all monofilament material or a combination of monofilament and multifilament material were moved to the Category I Mid-Atlantic gillnet fishery in the final 2009 LOF because their construction and fishing technique were more similar to a gillnet than a traditional beach seine.

Management

The fishery is managed under several state and Interstate Fishery Management Plans and is an affected fishery under the BDTRP. Large mesh nets are regulated in North Carolina via North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission rules and NCDMF proclamations.

Historical Information

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)	II (1996)
Original Number of Participants	Unknown
Basis for Original Classification	This fishery was listed as a Category II based on stranding network data. This fishery had a potential for high levels of interactions with harbor porpoise (Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy stock) and bottlenose dolphins (WNA coastal stock). Available stranding data recorded three bottlenose dolphins released live from this gear and one dead.
Past Names	“North Carolina haul seine fishery” until 1999; “Mid-Atlantic haul seine” until 2001.
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)	N/A

Timeline of Changes

2017	Estimated number of participants updated from 243 to 359.
2016	Estimated number of participants updated from 565 to 243.
2012	Estimated number of participants updated from 666 to 874.
2013	Estimated number of participants updated from 874 to 565.
2012	Estimated number of participants updated from 666 to 874.
2011	Updated the stock name for bottlenose dolphins killed/injured in this fishery, based on the revised stock structure presented in the final 2008 and 2009 SARs. Replaced bottlenose dolphin (WNA coastal) with the following stocks: bottlenose dolphin (Northern NC estuarine system); bottlenose dolphin (Northern Migratory coastal); bottlenose dolphin (Southern Migratory coastal). Retained a superscript “1” after each of these stocks because the 2010 LOF includes a superscript “1” following bottlenose dolphin (WNA coastal) and NOAA Fisheries cannot yet differentiate to which stock a killed/injured animal belongs. Until NOAA Fisheries is able to do so, each stock of bottlenose dolphin is considered to be driving the classification of the fishery. Estimated number of participants updated from 25 to 666. This estimation may be an inflation of actual effort; however, it represents the potential effort for the fishery, given the multiple gear types several state permits may allow for
2010	Updated the fishery description to reflect multiple amendments and changes in state regulations
2009	Updated the fishery description to be consistent with a NCDMF rulemaking, distinguishing between beach-anchored gillnets and traditional beach seines.
2008	Stated in the final rule that the fishery is undergoing change, particularly pertaining to NC beach gear, due to pending rulemakings by the NCDMF. An updated fishery description will be provided in future LOFs.
2007	Harbor porpoise (Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy) deleted from the list of species/stocks killed/injured in this fishery because the most recent 5 years of data (1999-2003) and other information indicated a lack of evidence that this species was seriously injured or killed in the fishery.
2006	Added a superscript “1” after bottlenose dolphin (WNA coastal), indicating that this stock is driving the fishery’s categorization.
2001	This fishery was divided into two fisheries: this fishery and the Category II "North Carolina long haul seine fishery." Renamed this fishery from the "Mid-Atlantic haul seine" to the "Mid-Atlantic haul/beach seine" to clarify the gear used in the fishery. This fishery includes seines where one end is secured, as well as seines that may be secured at both ends and hauled up on the beach.
1999	Renamed from the “North Carolina haul seine fishery” to the "Mid-Atlantic haul seine fishery" because of reports that this fishery operated in several other mid-Atlantic states including North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey.
1998	Estimated number of participants updated from unknown to 25.