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.
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 | |
Observer Coverage | From 2015-2019, estimated percent observer coverage (trips) was 3, 6, 8, 24 and 32, respectively. |
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.
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
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