2023 and 2022-2023 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).
This page was updated on: 5/29/2024
- SEASONAL CLOSURES: South Atlantic Seasons and Closures
- TRIP LIMITS AND BAG LIMITS: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
- FOR THE MOST CURRENT FEDERAL REGULATIONS: Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 622 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic
- OTHER FISHING YEAR LANDINGS
- FOR ALL LANDINGS: Southeast Region Annual Catch Limit Monitoring
Preliminary Landings* for Fishing Year: January 1 - December 31, 2023
*by Two-month Wave
MRFSS, MRIP, and Headboat recreational landings available from January 1 through December 31, 2023.
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 | 2,831 | 34 | 12,694 | 23,005 | 3,808 | 5 | 42,377 | 661,926 | CHTS | ww | 6% | CLOSED |
| Bar Jack | 398 | 9 | 934 | 8,721 | 35 | 1,578 | 11,675 | 49,021 | CHTS | ww | 24% | CLOSED |
| Black groupera | 12 | 84 | 15,904 | 1,382 | 958 | 10,991 | 29,331 | 165,750 | MRFSS | ww | 18% | CLOSED |
| Blueline Tilefisha | 443 | 1,298 | 215,418 | 132,866 | 1,282 | 25 | 351,332 | 116,820 | CHTS | ww | 301% | CLOSED |
| Deepwater complexb | 2,228 | 3,269 | 8,994 | 5,620 | 3,224 | 4,815 | 28,150 | 38,628 | CHTS | ww | 73% | CLOSED |
| Dolphin | 128,496 | 518,850 | 4,306,342 | 1,661,778 | 1,674,531 | 189,974 | 8,479,971 | 22,850,811 | FES | ww | 37% | CLOSED |
| Gaga | 0 | 0 | 249,727 | 195,852 | 44,296 | 31 | 489,906 | 90,306 | FES | gw | 542% | CLOSED on 10/23/2023 |
| Golden tilefish | 12,956 | 1,057 | 22,465 | 1,037 | 0 | 1,172 | 38,687 | 2,559 | FES | numbers | 1512% | CLOSED on 7/17/2023 |
| Gray triggerfish | 12,784 | 16,707 | 66,547 | 67,372 | 42,257 | 6,601 | 212,268 | 404,675 | CHTS | ww | 52% | CLOSED |
| Gruntsc | 34,736 | 40,441 | 54,594 | 74,546 | 27,093 | 19,064 | 250,474 | 618,122 | CHTS | ww | 41% | CLOSED |
| Hogfish NC-GA | 0 | 2 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 988 | CHTS | numbers | 4% | CLOSED |
| Hogfish FLK-EFL | 25 | 0 | 1,787 | 257 | 1,735 | 2 | 3,806 | 37,671 | CHTS | numbers | 10% | CLOSED |
| Jacksd | 9,755 | 20,390 | 61,881 | 82,765 | 21,080 | 4,396 | 200,267 | 267,799 | CHTS | ww | 75% | CLOSED |
| Mutton snapper | 7,973 | 5,257 | 16,681 | 16,305 | 8,127 | 7,014 | 61,357 | 127,115 | CHTS | numbers | 48% | CLOSED |
| Porgiesa,e | 7,692 | 6,800 | 13,918 | 18,872 | 4,028 | 3,182 | 54,492 | 106,914 | CHTS | ww | 51% | CLOSED |
| Red Groupera | 115 | 1,565 | 38,098 | 11,434 | 4,162 | 18,300 | 73,674 | 90,720 | CHTS | ww | 81% | CLOSED |
| Red Porgya | 619 | 512 | 12,521 | 2,446 | 801 | 0 | 16,899 | 164,000 | CHTS | ww | 10% | CLOSED |
| Scampa | 125 | 553 | 32,280 | 8,173 | 1,071 | 168 | 42,370 | 116,369 | CHTS | ww | 36% | CLOSED |
| Shallow water groupera,f | 738 | 0 | 3,455 | 6,342 | 1,469 | 906 | 12,910 | 48,648 | CHTS | ww | 27% | CLOSED |
| Snappersg | 69,589 | 61,525 | 139,996 | 158,830 | 60,595 | 51,248 | 541,783 | 1,169,308 | CHTS | ww | 46% | CLOSED |
| Snowy Groupera | 0 | 1,152 | 1,348 | 629 | 228 | 0 | 3,357 | 5,315 | CHTS | numbers | 63% | CLOSED |
| Vermilion snapper | 17,637 | 20,593 | 121,608 | 133,574 | 61,191 | 5,672 | 360,275 | 427,520 | CHTS | ww | 84% | CLOSED |
| Wahoo | 64,001 | 438,876 | 697,457 | 309,359 | 375,899 | 179,887 | 2,065,479 | 2,814,613 | FES | ww | 73% | CLOSED |
| Wreckfisha | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19,455 | CHTS | ww | 0% | CLOSED |
| Red Snapper** | x | x | x | See FB23-033 | x | x | x | 29,656 | CHTS | ww | x | See FB23-033 |
| 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 |
**The new gag ACL in FES was implemented on 10/23/2023.
***The new golden tilefish ACL in FES was implemented on 12/7/2023.
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 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 28** | 204,284 | 197,029 | 83,143 | 23,323 | 20,185 | 13,848 | 541,812 | 1,167,837 | as reported | MRFSS | 46% | CLOSED |
| King Mackerel | Mar 1 - Feb 28** | 146,179 | 377,744 | 361,719 | 180,681 | 79,656 | 26,730 | 1,172,709 | 8,000,000 | CHTS | 15% | CLOSED | |
| Spanish Mackerel | Mar 1 - Feb 28** | 51,853 | 284,506 | 156,965 | 262,325 | 26,624 | 146,922 | 929,195 | 2,727,000 | ww | CHTS | 34% | 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** | 27,378 | 174,061 | 29,998 | 101,861 | 90,594 | 90,188 | 25,414 | 539,494 | 1,440,990 | MRFSS | 37% | 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** | 12,637 | 28,500 | 18,133 | 21,388 | 6,463 | 11,551 | 12,517 | 111,188 | 366,510 | CHTS | 30% | CLOSED |
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