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2022 and 2021-2022 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

Table of Contents

**2023 landings are coming soon!

 

This page was updated on: 2/21/2023

 

Preliminary Landings* for Fishing Year: January 1 - December 31, 2022

MRFSS, MRIP, and Headboat recreational landings available from January 1 through October 31, 2022.

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 11,562 0 27,140 185,398 2,561   226,661 661,926 CHTS ww 34% CLOSED
Bar Jack 289 1,746 101 40 984   3,160 49,021 CHTS ww 6% CLOSED
Black groupera 106 39 11,202 20,380 12,993   44,720 165,750 MRFSS ww 27% CLOSED
Blueline Tilefisha 565 268 25,070 7,173 816   33,892 116,820 CHTS ww 29% CLOSED on 7/26/2022
Deepwater complexb 3,807 1,712 4,534 7,760 3,846   21,659 38,628 CHTS ww 56% CLOSED
Dolphin 112,587 536,551 5,505,717 1,507,799 1,315,528   8,978,182 22,850,811 FES ww 39% CLOSED
Gaga 0 0 20,615 10,417 4,298   35,330 359,832 CHTS gw 10% CLOSED
Golden tilefish 385 468 484 517 0   1,854 2,316 CHTS numbers 80% CLOSED
Gray triggerfish 6,089 12,757 81,813 119,002 30,883   250,544 404,675 CHTS ww 62% CLOSED
Gruntsc 20,499 26,883 44,176 49,942 20,384   161,884 618,122 CHTS ww 26% CLOSED
Hogfish NC-GA 1 2 35 0 1   39 988 CHTS numbers 4% CLOSED
Hogfish FLK-EFL 0 522 1,107 1,872 1,279   4,780 33,358 CHTS numbers 14% CLOSED
Jacksd 4,865 33,068 60,058 67,250 22,375   187,616 267,799 CHTS ww 70% CLOSED
Mutton snapper 10,551 13,516 16,806 11,874 12,322   65,069 127,115 CHTS numbers 51% CLOSED
Porgiesa,e 11,911 9,877 14,603 12,757 11,960   61,108 106,914 CHTS ww 57% CLOSED
Red Groupera 559 29,249 16,414 16,681 5,524   68,427 90,720 CHTS ww 75% CLOSED
Red Porgya 437 1,194 16,435 6,147 1,609   25,822 164,000 CHTS ww 16% CLOSED
Scampa 233 101 5,337 685 714   7,070 116,369 CHTS ww 6% CLOSED
Shallow water groupera,f 6 579 4,313 2,449 2,089   9,436 48,648 CHTS ww 19% CLOSED
Snappersg 46,829 40,676 86,622 157,049 101,187   432,363 1,169,308 CHTS ww 37% CLOSED
Snowy Groupera 38 8 885 104 93   1,128 5,315 CHTS numbers 21% CLOSED
Vermilion snapper 5,590 23,680 111,722 74,118 40,174   255,284 435,840 CHTS ww 59% CLOSED
Wahoo 401,234 304,261 631,297 443,305 703,352   2,483,449 2,814,613 FES ww 88% CLOSED
Wreckfisha 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19,455 CHTS ww 0% CLOSED
Red Snapper** x x x See FB22-029 x x x 29,656 CHTS ww x 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

*by Two-month Wave

  • MRFSS, MRIP, and Headboat recreational landings available from January 1 through June 30, 2022. 
  • 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. 

Note: Amendment 31 removed Atlantic cobia (from Georgia through New York) from the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan.  Atlantic cobia is now managed under the purview of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission because the majority of Atlantic cobia landings are in state waters.

 

Preliminary Landings* for 2021-2022 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** 151,590 238,887 182,498 63,372 52,527 18,967 707,841 1,167,837 as reported MRFSS 61% CLOSED
King Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 29** 359,005 586,852 617,491 200,072 110,367 44,038 1,917,825 8,000,000 CHTS 24% CLOSED
Spanish Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 29** 319,718 133,030 409,128 359,076 372,276 58,551 1,651,779 2,727,000 ww CHTS 61% 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** 55,946 58,680 79,786 34,035 168,688 83,796 30,265 511,195 1,440,990 MRFSS 35% 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** 13,121 24,997 15,339 14,680 22,073 19,206 8,185 117,602 366,510 CHTS 32% CLOSED

 

Preliminary Landings* for 2022-2023 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** 191,543 196,340 85,444 23,694     497,021 1,167,837 as reported MRFSS 43% OPEN
King Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 29** 148,864 366,178 349,189 173,019     1,037,250 8,000,000 CHTS 13% OPEN
Spanish Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 29** 52,390 298,783 155,151 260,722     767,046 2,727,000 ww CHTS 28% OPEN

 

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** 30,265 97,588           127,853 1,440,990 MRFSS 9% OPEN

 

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** 11,542 27,254 18,626 13,081       70,503 366,510 CHTS 19% OPEN

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 majority of red grouper landings came north of Key West (Gulf of Mexico region).  These Key West red grouper landings were not applied to the South Atlantic ACL.

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 02/21/2023

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