Mid-Atlantic Mid-Water Trawl (includes pair trawl) 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	320
Target Species	Atlantic mackerel, chub mackerel, and miscellaneous other pelagic species
Applicable Take Reduction Plans	Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Team
Observer Coverage	During the period 1997-2018, estimated percent observer coverage (trips) was 0, 0, 1.01, 8.43, 0, 0.77, 3.50, 12.16, 8.40, 8.90, 3.85, 13.33, 13.2, 25, 41, 21, 7, 5, 3, 6, 8 and 24, respectively. Observer coverage for 2010-2018 includes both observers and at-sea monitors.
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured	Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore; Harbor seal, 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.

Basis for Current Classification

The total annual mortality and serious injury of white-sided dolphins (Western North Atlantic [WNA] stock) in this fishery is greater than 1% and less than 50% of the stock’s Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level.

Distribution

The fishery for Atlantic mackerel occurs primarily from southern New England through the mid-Atlantic from January-March and in the Gulf of Maine during the summer and fall (May-December). The Mid-Atlantic mid-water trawl fishery includes 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.

Gear Description

This fishery uses both single and pair trawls, which are designed, capable, or used to fish for pelagic species with no portion of the gear designed to be operated in contact with the bottom of the ocean.

Management

This fishery is managed under the Federal Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan using an annual quota system.

Total Effort

Total effort, measured in trips, for the Mid-Atlantic Mid-Water Trawl Fishery (across both gear types) from 1997 to 2013 was 331, 223, 374, 166, 408, 261, 428, 360, 359, 405, 312, 255, 280,173, 140, 143, 284, 192, 211 and 217 respectively (NOAA Fisheries).

Historical Information

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)	II (1996)
Original Number of Participants	620
Basis for Original Classification	This fishery was listed as a Category II based on logbook data. Observer data existed but was not available for the 1996 LOF. This fishery consisted of the "Mid-Atlantic squid trawl fishery" and the "Mid-Atlantic mackerel trawl" as defined in the 1994 LOF (developed under section 114 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prior to the establishment of section 118 and the current LOF provisions). This fishery was joined with the butterfish trawl to parallel the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and titled the “Atlantic squid, mackerel, butterfish trawl fishery” to indicate the target species. Data averaged over 1990-1992 showed that the incidental mortality and serious injury was of 5 pilot whales/year, which was more than 1% and less than 50% PBR for short- and- long-finned pilot whales (combined as one stock for the purposes of analysis because the similarities between the species made it difficult for observers to identify the species).
Past Names	“Atlantic squid, mackerel, butterfish trawl fishery” 1996-2005; “Atlantic mid-water trawl fishery” in the proposed 1996 LOF; “Mid-Atlantic squid trawl fishery" and the "Mid-Atlantic mackerel trawl fishery” prior to 1996.
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)	gray seal (WNA); long-finned whale (WNA); Risso’s dolphin (WNA); short-finned whale (WNA); white-sided dolphin (WNA).

Timeline of Changes

2021	Added bottlenose dolphin (WNA offshore).
2019	Removed gray seal ((WNA). Estimated number of participants updated from 382 to 320.
2018	Removed white-sided dolphin (WNA).
2017	Removed Risso's dolphin (WNA). Added harbor seal (WNA) and gray seal (WNA) based on observed mortalities in 2010. Estimated number of participants updated from 507 to 382.
2016	Estimated number of participants updated from 322 to 507.
2014	Removed bottlenose dolphin, WNA Offshore.
2013	Estimated number of participants updated from 669 to 322.
2010	Updated the spatial boundary to further clarify the spatial distribution of this fishery, by adding the following statement: “The Mid-Atlantic mid-water trawl fishery includes 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.” • Estimated number of participants updated from 546 to 669.
2011	Estimated number of participants updated from 620 to 546.
2006	Modified the fishery description based on a public comment received on the 2008 LOF that this fishery was inaccurately characterized as targeting Illex squid, Loligo squid, and Atlantic butterfish. NMFS determined that the gear targeting these species is better characterized by the ‘‘Mid-Atlantic bottom trawl fishery’’ (Category II). Additionally, NMFS became aware of additional species targeted by the ‘‘Mid-Atlantic mid-water trawl fishery’’ (2007 final Stock Assessment Report). Therefore, NMFS replaced the current fishery description with: ‘‘The ‘Mid-Atlantic mid-water trawl fishery’ primarily targets Atlantic mackerel, chub mackerel, and miscellaneous other pelagic species. This fishery consists of both single and pair trawls, which are designed, capable, or used to fish for pelagic species with no portion of the gear designed to be operated in contact with the bottom. The fishery for Atlantic mackerel occurs primarily from southern New England through the mid-Atlantic from January to March and in the Gulf of Maine during the summer and fall (May to December). This fishery is managed under the Federal Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP using an annual quota system.’’
2007	Downgraded from a Category I to a Category II based on data in the draft 2006 Stock Assessment Reports (SARs). Mortality and serious injury was 0% of PBR for common dolphins (WNA), 0.3% of PBR for pilot whales (WNA), and 4.3% of PBR for white-sided dolphins (WNA). Therefore, a Category II classification was warranted based on mortality and serious injury of white-sided dolphins (WNA). Removed the subscript "1" from short- and long-finned pilot whales (WNA) and common dolphins (WNA) because the mortality and serious injury of these stocks was less than 1% of PBR for each stock; therefore, they were no longer driving the classification of the fishery.
2006	Added a superscript “1” in Table 2 after common dolphin (WNA), long-finned pilot whale (WNA), short-finned pilot whale (WNA) and white-sided dolphin (WNA), indicating that these stocks are driving the categorization of the fishery.
2005	Renamed from the “Atlantic squid, mackerel, butterfish trawl fishery” to the "Mid-Atlantic mid-water trawl (including pair trawl) fishery" to appropriately classify all similar mid-water trawl fisheries operating in this region that may be interacting with marine mammals. Bottlenose dolphin (WNA offshore) added to the list of species/stocks killed/injured in this fishery because interactions had been documented in recent SARs.
2001	Elevated from a Category II to a Category I based on serious injury and mortality of common dolphins (WNA). The estimated annual mortality and serious injury for pilot whales was 43, or 38% of PBR (PBR=113) and common dolphins is 367, which exceeded PBR (PBR=227). While mortality and serious injury of pilot whales (short- and long-finned combined) was not more than 50% with the updated PBR, serious injury and mortality of common dolphins (WNA) continued to exceed 50% of PBR.
1997	Combined with the Category III "Gulf of Maine mackerel trawl fishery” because a separate listing was duplicative.