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2019 and 2018-2019 South Atlantic Recreational Landings

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center has provided the following preliminary landings estimates for species in the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s area of jurisdiction subject to annual catch limits (ACLs).

Southeast

This page was updated on: 5/27/2020

 

 

Landings* for Fishing Year: January 1 - December 31, 2019

*by Two-month Wave

MRIP and Headboat landings available through December 31, 2019. 

Species Complex Jan-Feb Mar-Apr May-Jun Jul-Aug Sep-Oct Nov-Dec Total Reported Annual Catch Limit Dataset  Units Percent of ACL  Current Status
Atlantic spadefish 0 0 107,353 64,379 6,291 23 178,046 661,926 CHTS ww 27% CLOSED
Bar Jack 0 42 7,343 1,094 2 0 8,481 49,021 CHTS ww 17% CLOSED
Black groupera 2,456 212 10,858 1,983 359 5,738 21,606 165,750 MRFSS ww 13% CLOSED
Blueline Tilefisha 10,450 1,855 38,298 58,662 169 679 110,113 87,277 CHTS ww 126% CLOSED
Cobia NY to GA 0 774 286,805 362,161 14,078 72 663,891 620,000 CHTS as reported 107% CLOSED on 9/4/19
Deepwater complexb 87 21,498 6,168 13,464 914 2,185 44,316 38,628 CHTS ww 115% CLOSED on 12/11/19
Dolphin 41,242 393,002 1,857,846 1,113,039 456,883 39,295 3,901,307 13,810,361 CHTS ww 28% CLOSED
Gaga 0 0 68,325 20,841 4,299 929 94,394 348,194 CHTS gw 27% CLOSED
Golden tilefish 15,116 237 1 284 0 0 15,638 2,316 CHTS numbers 675% CLOSED on 6/17/2019
Gray triggerfish 13,138 26,981 152,428 104,657 33,333 11,313 341,850 404,675 CHTS ww 84% CLOSED
Gruntsc 40,771 23,838 133,079 73,510 22,962 21,462 315,622 618,122 CHTS ww 51% CLOSED
Hogfish NC-GA 0 0 109 0 0 0 109 988 CHTS numbers 11% CLOSED
Hogfish FLK-EFL 0 0 0 2,093 0 0 2,093 18,617 CHTS numbers 11% CLOSED
Jacksd 63,944 75,576 172,065 71,071 18,979 1,572 403,207 267,799 CHTS ww 151% CLOSED on 9/25/2019
Mutton snapper 16,213 32,753 30,698 12,038 6,780 8,501 106,983 124,766 CHTS numbers 86% CLOSED
Porgiesa,e 15,032 15,007 17,010 17,490 21,360 7,470 93,369 106,914 CHTS ww 87% CLOSED
Red Groupera 3,840 2,525 72,683 14,854 4,778 7,728 106,408 84,000 CHTS ww 127% CLOSED on 9/25/2019
Red Porgya 40 3,543 16,561 4,759 3,336 1,300 29,539 164,000 CHTS ww 18% CLOSED
Scampa 211 567 16,062 2,985 3,225 717 23,767 116,369 CHTS ww 20% CLOSED
Shallow water groupera,f 0 2 5,996 2,223 718 1,488 10,427 48,648 CHTS ww 21% CLOSED
Snappersg 67,409 71,170 149,940 312,316 47,748 33,955 682,538 1,169,308 CHTS ww 58% CLOSED
Snowy Groupera 0 260 463 1,052 20 151 1,946 5,315 CHTS numbers 37% CLOSED
Vermilion snapper 16,174 57,437 162,945 131,715 40,394 17,510 426,175 406,080 CHTS ww 105% CLOSED
Wahoo 195,354 89,388 45,098 120,626 221,680 89,971 762,117 1,724,418 CHTS ww 44% CLOSED
Wreckfisha 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20,315 CHTS ww 0% CLOSED
Red Snapper** 0 0 0 49,674 0 0 49,674 29,656 CHTS ww 168% CLOSED
Goliath grouper x x x x x x x 0 MRFSS ww x PROHIBITED
Nassau grouper x x x x x x x 0 MRFSS gw x PROHIBITED
Speckled hind x x x x x x x 0 MRFSS ww x PROHIBITED
Warsaw grouper x x x x x x x 0 MRFSS ww x PROHIBITED

 

**Red snapper recreational sector will open for harvest in South Atlantic federal waters during 2019 for the following two weekends:

  • July 12, 13, and 14, 2019 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) – The recreational season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 12, 2019, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 15, 2019. 
  • July 19 and 20, 2019 (Friday and Saturday) – The recreational season opens again at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 19, 2019, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 21, 2019. 

The recreational annual catch limit will be 29,656 fish. The recreational bag limit will be one red snapper per person per day.  This applies to private and charterboat/headboat vessels (the captain and crew on for-hire vessels may retain the recreational bag limit). There will be no minimum or maximum size limits for the recreational sector. See FB19-011 for more information.

 

Landings* for Fishing Year: January 1 - December 31, 2018

*by Two-month Wave

Species Complex Jan-Feb Mar-Apr May-Jun Jul-Aug Sep-Oct Nov-Dec Total Reported Annual Catch Limit Units Percent of ACL  Current Status
Atlantic spadefish 14 0 40,403 290,754 7,694 0 338,865 661,926 ww 51% CLOSED
Bar Jack 27 74 111 51 24 0 287 49,021 ww 1% CLOSED
Black groupera 238 718 6,617 9,682 1,298 102,668 121,221 165,750 ww 73% CLOSED
Blueline Tilefisha 268 5,334 36,203 74,348 444 0 116,597 87,277 ww 134% CLOSED
Cobia NY to GA 0 5,871 681,313 508,502 32,108 25 1,227,819 620,000 as reported 198% CLOSED
Deepwater complexb 281 1,840 14,483 673 416 797 18,490 38,628 ww 48% CLOSED
Dolphin 67,984 494,109 2,658,370 1,329,508 1,892,343 284,241 6,726,555 13,810,361 ww 49% CLOSED
Gaga 0 34 49,831 22,021 35,190 22,279 129,355 348,194 gw 37% CLOSED
Golden tilefish 497 786 12 34 1,552 231 3,112 2,187 numbers 142%  CLOSED on 8/28/2018
Gray triggerfish 4,350 25,449 96,568 71,920 118,805 12,489 329,581 404,675 ww 81% CLOSED
Gruntsc 49,445 89,842 76,065 177,549 35,078 15,371 443,350 618,122 ww 72% CLOSED
Hogfish NC-GA 0 0 71 1 3 0 75 988 numbers 8% CLOSED
Hogfish FLK-EFL 1 0 403 538 6,397 0 7,339 18,617 numbers 39% CLOSED
Jacksd 2,114 32,184 53,550 177,172 24,253 8,152 297,425 267,799 ww 111% CLOSED on 12/18/2018
Mutton snapper 7,888 6,783 17,578 23,362 11,937 8,943 76,491 121,318 numbers 63% CLOSED
Porgiesa,e 8,938 17,464 23,689 23,039 17,366 5,974 96,470 106,914 ww 90% CLOSED
Red Groupera 3,086 8,023 16,879 76,195 32,567 17,094 153,844 77,840 ww 198% CLOSED on 12/12/2018
Red Porgya 464 7,151 14,120 87,360 3,360 269 112,724 164,000 ww 69% CLOSED
Scampa 48 555 5,396 6,666 722 668 14,055 116,369 ww 12% CLOSED
Shallow water groupera,f 16 1,536 3,414 5,816 3,211 3,557 17,550 48,648 ww 36% CLOSED
Snappersg 87,664 169,356 190,133 288,229 138,916 57,571 931,869 1,169,308 ww 80% CLOSED
Snowy Groupera 0 767 828 1,160 11 0 2,766 4,983 numbers 56% CLOSED
Vermilion snapper 7,264 31,582 79,326 139,403 44,798 11,962 314,335 406,080 ww 77% CLOSED
Wahoo 48,531 48,015 131,262 86,943 98,586 53,333 466,670 1,724,418 ww 27% CLOSED
Wreckfisha 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20,315 ww 0% CLOSED
Red Snapper** x x x ***See FB18-050for more information x x x 0 ww x CLOSED
Goliath grouper x x x x x x x 0 ww x PROHIBITED
Nassau grouper x x x x x x x 0 gw x PROHIBITED
Speckled hind x x x x x x x 0 ww x PROHIBITED
Warsaw grouper x x x x x x x 0 ww x PROHIBITED

 

**Red snapper recreational sector opened for harvest in South Atlantic federal waters during 2018 for the following two weekends:

  • 12:01 a.m. (local time) on August 10, 2018, and close 12:01 a.m. (local time) on August 13, 2018.
  • 12:01 a.m. (local time) on August 17, 2018, and close 12:01 a.m. (local time) on August 20, 2018.

The recreational annual catch limit was 29,656 fish. During the three-day openings, the recreational bag limit for red snapper was one fish per person per day with no minimum size limit. See FB18-50 for more information.

 

Definitions

ww: pounds whole weight; gw: pounds gutted weight; numbers: number of fish

Recreational Dataset: All landings are MRIP, except the following species are MRFSS: Black grouper, Red snapper, Goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, Speckled hind, and Warsaw grouper.  The datasets used to monitor the recreational ACLs for some stocks were changed from MRFSS to the MRIP.  The dataset to monitor the other stocks will be changed to MRIP in future amendments. Landings include MRIP or MRIP converted to MRFSS and headboat landings. 

 

NOTES

(a) There is a seasonal regulation in place; For a list of seasonal closures and harvest limitations, please visit South Atlantic Seasonal Closures and Harvest Limitations

(b) Deepwater Complex: yellowedge grouper, silk snapper, misty grouper, queen snapper, sand tilefish, blackfin snapper

(c) Grunts: White grunt, margate, sailor's choice, tomtate

(d) Jacks: Almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack

(e) Porgies: Jolthead, knobbed, saucereye, whitebone, scup

(f) Shallow Water Grouper: Red hind, rock hind, coney, graysby, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth grouper

(g) Snappers: Gray, lane, cubera

 

Preliminary Landings* for 2018-2019 Fishing Year: Season Varies (See Table)

*by Two-month Wave

Species Complex Season Mar-Apr May-Jun Jul-Aug Sep-Oct Nov-Dec Jan-Feb Total Reported Annual Catch Limit Dataset Percent of ACL  Current Status
Greater Amberjack Mar 1 - Feb 28** 70,735 277,394 101,911 18,592 104,902 100,234 673,768 1,167,837 MRFSS 58% CLOSED
King Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 28 141,692 867,178 797,391 282,885 194,456 203,374 2,486,976 8,900,000 MRIP 28% CLOSED
Spanish Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 28 43,839 323,176 281,336 288,502 110,297 150,242 1,197,392 2,727,000 MRIP 44% CLOSED

 

Species Complex Season August Sep-Oct Nov-Dec Jan-Feb Mar-Apr May-Jun Jul Total Reported Annual Catch Limit Dataset Percent of ACL  Current Status
Yellowtail Snapper Aug 1-Jul 31** 56,355 108,552 83,692 71,938 125,708 145,447 33,379 625,070 1,440,990 MRFSS 43% CLOSED

 

Species Complex Season Apr May-Jun Jul-Aug Sep-Oct Nov-Dec Jan-Feb Mar Total Reported Annual Catch Limit Dataset Percent of ACL  Current Status
Black Sea Bass Apr 1 - Mar 31** 16,281 62,013 52,431 8,215 8,061 22,494 18,840 188,335 1,001,177 MRIP 19% CLOSED

*All Units are in pounds whole weight (ww). All landings include both MRFSS/MRIP and Headboat landings.  

**Fishing seasons were modified in Regulatory Amendment 14 for black sea bass and greater amberjack. The fishing season for Yellowtail snapper was modified in Regulatory Amendment 25, which took effect on August 12, 2016. 

 

Source: Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Quota Monitoring Program, Miami, Florida.

For additional information contact Mary Vara at 727-824-5305.

 

Return to the Southeast Region Annual Catch Limit Monitoring page

Last updated by Southeast Regional Office on 01/25/2022