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2020 and 2019-2020 South Atlantic Recreational Landings

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center has provided the following 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: 5/17/2021

 

 

Landings* for Fishing Year: January 1 - December 31, 2020

*by Two-month Wave

  • MRFSS, MRIP, and Headboat recreational landings available from January 1 through December 31, 2020.  
  • The survey to estimate recreational landings has changed over the years.  Details of the changes can be found at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/recreational-fishing-data 
  • The different recreational surveys are listed in the tables as MRFSS, CHTS, and FES.  MRFSS is the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey. 
  • CHTS is the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) Coastal Household Telephone Survey, and FES is the MRIP Fishing Effort Survey. 
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 680 32 31,040 110,188 1,468 310 143,718 661,926 CHTS ww 22% CLOSED
Bar Jack 14 0 30 115 16 0 175 49,021 CHTS ww 0% CLOSED
Black groupera 113 145 19,452 880 18,480 41,570 80,640 165,750 MRFSS ww 49% CLOSED
Blueline Tilefisha 0 1,026 36,312 340,284 0 14,631 392,253 116,820 CHTS ww 336% CLOSED
Cobia NY to GA 0 1,828 352,908 165,625 23,895 17 544,273 620,000 CHTS as reported 88% CLOSED
Deepwater complexb 72 550 2,965 3,209 12,523 124 19,443 38,628 CHTS ww 50% CLOSED
Dolphin 8,465 220,386 1,405,198 594,737 256,887 67,670 2,553,343 13,810,361 CHTS ww 18% CLOSED
Gaga 0 13 33,400 13,713 2,099 899 50,124 348,194 CHTS gw 14% CLOSED
Golden tilefish 1,810 0 921 60 0 103 2,894 2,316 CHTS numbers 125% CLOSED
Gray triggerfish 5,664 15,818 117,705 138,897 49,627 30,912 358,623 404,675 CHTS ww 89% CLOSED
Gruntsc 31,420 42,916 40,968 73,582 30,484 19,665 239,035 618,122 CHTS ww 39% CLOSED
Hogfish NC-GA 0 0 31 12 3 217 263 988 CHTS numbers 27% CLOSED
Hogfish FLK-EFL 0 0 14 384 288 2,374 3,060 18,617 CHTS numbers 16% CLOSED
Jacksd 1,937 20,475 52,617 87,516 17,046 13,315 192,906 267,799 CHTS ww 72% CLOSED
Mutton snapper 83,155 3,001 10,410 5,638 5,785 18,042 126,031 127,115 CHTS numbers 99% CLOSED
Porgiesa,e 7,613 6,733 10,031 16,028 8,783 8,602 57,790 106,914 CHTS ww 54% CLOSED
Red Groupera,h 1,053 901 40,197 16,142 10,456 33,029 101,778 90,720 CHTS ww 112% CLOSED
Red Porgya 25 3,685 27,702 10,174 3,363 248 45,197 164,000 CHTS ww 28% CLOSED
Scampa 143 0 11,485 8,590 1,053 484 21,755 116,369 CHTS ww 19% CLOSED
Shallow water groupera,f 271 358 7,686 3,326 1,301 424 13,366 48,648 CHTS ww 27% CLOSED
Snappersg 58,313 88,731 57,309 118,193 78,888 42,439 443,873 1,169,308 CHTS ww 38% CLOSED
Snowy Groupera 0 72 917 320 0 0 1,309 5,315 CHTS numbers 25% CLOSED
Vermilion snapper 3,098 29,097 88,313 169,093 36,395 14,237 340,233 406,080 CHTS ww 84% CLOSED
Wahoo 1,202 18,308 54,628 177,174 136,412 15,235 402,959 1,724,418 CHTS ww 23% CLOSED
Wreckfisha 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20,315 CHTS ww 0% CLOSED
Red Snapper** 0 0 0 42,772 0 0 42,772 29,656 CHTS numbers 144% 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

Landings* for 2019-2020 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 Units Dataset Percent of ACL  Current Status
Greater Amberjack Mar 1 - Feb 29** 323,212 307,645 192,845 2,617 36,563 72,286 935,168 1,167,837 ww MRFSS 80% CLOSED
King Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 29** 230,473 887,124 1,216,168 139,743 77,830 77,501 2,628,839 8,000,000 As reported CHTS 33% CLOSED
Spanish Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 29** 155,993 505,372 431,209 133,554 12,575 392,268 1,630,971 2,727,000 As reported CHTS 60% CLOSED

 

Species Complex Season August Sep-Oct Nov-Dec Jan-Feb Mar-Apr May-Jun Jul Total Reported Annual Catch Limit (ww) Dataset Percent of ACL  Current Status
Yellowtail Snapper Aug 1-Jul 31** 29,637 17,364 63,349 204,885 30,088 112,331 35,078 492,732 1,440,990 MRFSS 34% CLOSED

 

Species Complex Season Apr May-Jun Jul-Aug Sep-Oct Nov-Dec Jan-Feb Mar Total Reported Annual Catch Limit (ww) Dataset Percent of ACL  Current Status
Black Sea Bass Apr 1 - Mar 31** 19,399 59,863 60,791 9,584 9,881 6,222 4,455 170,195 433,200 CHTS 39% CLOSED

*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. 

 

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

(h) The red grouper recreational ACL was exceeded but the majority of these landings came north of Key West (Gulf of Mexico region).  These Key West red grouper landings were not applied to the South Atlantic ACL and there is no closure at this time.  

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 02/16/2022