Squalus acanthias
Spiny dogfish
Spiny dogfish
The Atlantic spiny dogfish fishery operates from Maine to Florida and from inshore to offshore waters on the edge of the continental shelf. The spiny dogfish fishery uses predominantly bottom gillnets, with lesser amounts caught by trawls and hook gear. There is little consumer demand for spiny dogfish in the United States, but it is commonly used in Europe as the fish in 'fish and chips.' U.S. wild-caught Atlantic spiny dogfish is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations. Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 648 subpart L.
Below target population levels.
At recommended levels.
Area closures and gear restrictions protect habitats affected by some kinds of trawl gear.
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
The federal commercial trip limit for spiny dogfish is 6,000 lb. Only one trip may be made each calendar day.
There are no fish size limits in the spiny dogfish.
Note: Individual states may set more restrictive possession limits. Please check with your state fisheries agency.
| Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 47.507 million lb |
|---|---|
| Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 28.470 million lb |
| Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 28.362 million lb |
| Commercial Quota | 20.523 million lb |
VTRs must be submitted with a record of all fishing activity for each month. The reports must be submitted to NOAA fisheries or postmarked within 15 days after the end of the reporting month. Copies of VTRs must be retained on board the vessel for 1 year after the date of the last entry on the log and otherwise retained for 3 years after the date of the last entry on the log. Reports can also be submitted electronically through our online reporting page.
The commercial spiny dogfish fishery does not specifically require VMS. However, vessels must abide by Northeast multispecies, scallop, or monkfish regulations if fishing on a day-at-sea (DAS) for one of those fisheries. Unless fishing on a Northeast multispecies sector trip, a vessel holding a federal fishing permit that requires an operating VMS must declare ‘out of fishery’ (DOF) through their VMS before starting a trip to fish for, possess, or land spiny dogfish in an exempted area or fishery not requiring a DAS.
The commercial spiny dogfish fishery does not have any Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or specific observer requirements. However, vessels must abide by Northeast multispecies, scallop, or monkfish regulations if fishing on a DAS for one of those fisheries. Additionally, all federally permitted vessels are obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program.
In general, unless exempted, spiny dogfish vessels fishing in federal waters are subject Northeast multispecies (groundfish) regulations, regardless of whether or not they also have a NE multispecies permit. Under these regulations, there are four regulated mesh areas (RMA) that control the gear that can be used in each area (see map): Gulf of Maine (GOM); Georges Bank (GB); Southern New England (SNE); and Mid-Atlantic (MA).
Within these RMAs, vessels fishing with gillnets and trawl gear must abide by the minimum mesh sizes required by the NE multispecies regulations. This consists of essentially a 6.5-inch minimum mesh size for square of diamond mesh for both trawl and gillnet gear in all RMAs. In the gillnet fishery, nets may not be longer than 300 ft / 91.4 m / 50 fathoms in length.
Vessels holding a limited access Northeast multispecies permit, and not on a Northeast multispecies sector trip, must also comply with the Northeast multispecies Restricted Gear Areas (RGAs). More information on RGAs can be found on our Northeast multispecies pages and regulations.
More information on the gears allowed and involved with spiny dogfish fishery exemptions can be found on the Exempted Fishing tab on this page.
In addition to the gear requirements above, protected species requirements may also apply, depending on the season and area being fished.
