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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

This page was updated on: 7/6/2023

 

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

MRFSS, MRIP, and Headboat recreational landings available from January 1 through December 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 10,731 0 26,297 176,238 2,378 0 215,644 661,926 CHTS ww 33% CLOSED
Bar Jack 291 1,770 86 36 991 2 3,176 49,021 CHTS ww 6% CLOSED
Black groupera 121 51 10,740 20,298 23,964 1,665 56,839 165,750 MRFSS ww 34% CLOSED
Blueline Tilefisha 466 217 21,400 6,555 844 142 29,624 116,820 CHTS ww 25% CLOSED on 7/26/2022
Deepwater complexb 3,235 1,608 4,408 8,106 4,166 2,562 24,085 38,628 CHTS ww 62% CLOSED
Dolphin 111,031 532,489 5,408,695 1,543,947 1,456,863 58,373 9,111,398 22,850,811 FES ww 40% CLOSED
Gaga 0 0 21,531 10,517 3,984 6,371 42,403 359,832 CHTS gw 12% CLOSED
Golden tilefish 389 471 491 535 0 471 2,357 2,316 CHTS numbers 102% CLOSED
Gray triggerfish 6,028 12,724 84,088 104,653 32,142 25,746 265,381 404,675 CHTS ww 66% CLOSED
Gruntsc 22,876 28,667 46,094 49,307 21,850 38,303 207,097 618,122 CHTS ww 34% CLOSED
Hogfish NC-GA 1 2 26 0 1 2 32 988 CHTS numbers 3% CLOSED
Hogfish FLK-EFL 0 522 1,107 1,866 2,556 1 6,052 33,358 CHTS numbers 18% CLOSED
Jacksd 5,038 31,738 53,529 64,857 17,952 12,602 185,716 267,799 CHTS ww 69% CLOSED
Mutton snapper 10,664 14,570 17,001 11,880 15,391 5,389 74,895 127,115 CHTS numbers 59% CLOSED
Porgiesa,e 12,145 10,103 13,844 12,594 11,535 4,463 64,684 106,914 CHTS ww 61% CLOSED
Red Groupera 707 29,408 16,031 16,791 6,042 4,444 73,423 90,720 CHTS ww 81% CLOSED
Red Porgya 450 1,246 15,748 5,974 1,609 26 25,053 164,000 CHTS ww 15% CLOSED
Scampa 159 70 5,221 596 621 641 7,308 116,369 CHTS ww 6% CLOSED
Shallow water groupera,f 6 574 4,149 2,406 2,050 891 10,076 48,648 CHTS ww 21% CLOSED
Snappersg 50,051 42,364 91,380 160,998 103,495 41,740 490,028 1,169,308 CHTS ww 42% CLOSED
Snowy Groupera 38 8 909 106 93 1,202 2,356 5,315 CHTS numbers 44% CLOSED
Vermilion snapper 5,998 25,141 113,603 72,551 41,895 44,883 304,071 435,840 CHTS ww 70% CLOSED
Wahoo 431,106 312,306 642,662 445,967 691,475 478,040 3,001,556 2,814,613 FES ww 107% 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

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.

 

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** 189,225 196,976 80,184 23,398 19,934 18,967 528,684 1,167,837 as reported MRFSS 45% CLOSED
King Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 29** 359,005 586,852 617,491 200,072 110,367 39,568 1,913,355 8,000,000 CHTS 24% CLOSED
Spanish Mackerel Mar 1 - Feb 29** 319,718 133,030 409,128 359,076 372,276 33,757 1,626,985 2,727,000 ww 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** 55,946 58,680 79,786 32,080 183,199 83,796 28,212 521,698 1,440,990 MRFSS 36% 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 18,993 9,202 118,407 366,510 CHTS 32% CLOSE

 

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 07/06/2023

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