Shortfin Squid

Management Timeline

1978: Atlantic Mackerel FMP established management of Atlantic mackerel fishery

1978: Atlantic Butterfish FMP established management of Atlantic butterfish fishery

1978: Squid FMP established management of squid fisheries

1979: Atlantic Mackerel Amendment 1 continued management of the Atlantic mackerel fishery

1979: Squid Amendment 1 continued management of the squid fishery

1980: Atlantic Butterfish Amendment 1 continued management of the Atlantic butterfish fishery

1980: Atlantic Mackerel Amendment 2 continued management of the Atlantic mackerel fishery.

1980: Atlantic Butterfish Amendment 2 continued management of the Atlantic butterfish fishery.

1983: Merged FMP consolidated management of Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries under a single FMP.

1984: Amendment 1 implemented squid OY adjustment mechanism and revised the Atlantic mackerel mortality rate.

1986: Amendment 2 revised squid bycatch TALFF allowances, implemented framework adjustment process, converted expiration of fishing permits from indefinite to annual, and equated fishing year with calendar year.

1991: Amendment 3 established overfishing definitions for all four species.

1991: Amendment 4 limited the activity of directed foreign fishing and joint venture transfers to foreign vessels and allowed for specification of OY for Atlantic mackerel for up to three years.

1996: Amendment 5 adjusted Loligo MSY; eliminated directed foreign fisheries for Loligo, Illex, and butterfish; instituted a dealer and vessel reporting system; instituted an operator permitting system; implemented a limited access system for Loligo, Illex and butterfish; and expanded the management unit to include all Atlantic mackerel, Loligo, Illex, and butterfish under U.S. jurisdiction.

1997: Amendment 6 revised the overfishing definitions for Loligo, Illex, and butterfish; established directed fishery closure at 95 percent of DAH for Loligo, Illex and butterfish with post-closure trip limits for each species; and established a mechanism for seasonal management of the Illex fishery to improve the yield-per recruit.

1997: Amendment 7 established consistency among FMPs in the NE region of the U.S. relative to vessel permitting, replacement and upgrade criteria.

1998: Amendment 8 brought the FMP into compliance with new and revised National Standards and other required provisions of the Sustainable Fisheries Act. This action also added a framework adjustment procedure.

2001: Framework 1 (PDF, 80 pages) created a quota set-aside for the purpose of conducting scientific research

2002: Framework 2 (PDF, 4 pages) extended the moratorium on entry to the Illex fishery for an additional year; established that previous year specifications apply when specifications for the management unit are not published prior to the start of the fishing year (excluding TALFF specifications); and allowed for the specification of management measures for Loligo for a period of up to three years.

2003: Framework 3 (PDF, 3 pages) extended the moratorium on entry to the Illex fishery for an additional year.

2004: Framework 4 extended the moratorium on entry to the Illex fishery for an additional five years

2007: Amendment 12 implemented standardized bycatch reporting methodology.

2008: Amendment 9 allowed for multi-year specifications for all four managed species (mackerel, butterfish, Illex, and Loligo) for up to 3 years; extended the moratorium on entry into the Illex fishery, without a sunset provision; adopted biological reference points for Loligo recommended by the stock assessment review committee (SARC); designated EFH for Loligo eggs based on available information; and prohibited bottom trawling by MSB-permitted vessels in Lydonia and Oceanographer Canyons.

2010: Amendment 10 implemented a butterfish rebuilding program, increased the Loligo minimum mesh in Trimesters 1 and 3, and implemented a 72-hour trip notification requirement for the Loligo fishery.

2010: Amendment 13 implemented Annual Catch Limits (ACLs), Annual Catch Targets (ACTs), and Accountability Measures (AMs).

2011: Amendment 11 implemented Limited Access in the Atl. mackerel fishery, updated EFH for all MSB species, and established a recreational-commercial allocation.

2012: Framework 5 broadened the scope of individuals who can perform hold measurements for limited access mackerel vessels

2012: Framework 6 clarified the Council's risk policy and describes the limited circumstances under which acceptable biological catch (ABC) can be increased for stocks without status determination criteria on overfishing.

2013: Framework 7 converted the butterfish mortality cap from a catch cap to a discard cap

2014: Amendment 14 implemented a variety of reporting and monitoring requirements for Atlantic mackerel and longfin squid fisheries, and implemented a river herring and shad catch cap for the Atlantic mackerel fishery (Appendices). Final Rule.

2013: Amendment 17 modified accountability measures for the Council's recreational fisheries, including Atlantic mackerel. Final Rule.

2014: Framework 8 implemented changes to improve operation of the butterfish discard cap in the longfin squid fishery and the directed butterfish fishery. Final Rule.

2015: Amendment 15 implemented Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology. Final Rule.

2015: Amendment 19 eliminated the requirement for vessel owners to submit "did not fish" reports for the months or weeks when their vessel was not fishing. This action also removed some of the restrictions for upgrading vessels listed on Federal fishing permits. Final Rule.

2015: Framework 9 established measures to enhance catch monitoring and address slippage (catch that is discarded before it has been sampled by observers) in the Atlantic mackerel fishery.

2016: Amendment 16 - Deep Sea Corals Amendment established management measures to protect deep sea corals from the impacts of commercial fishing gear in the Mid-Atlantic region. Final Rule.

2017: Amendment 18 - Unmanaged Forage Omnibus Amendment implemented management measures to prevent the development of new, and the expansion of existing, commercial fisheries on certain forage species in the Mid-Atlantic. Final Rule.

2017: Framework 10 - Omnibus For-Hire Electronic Trip Reporting Framework implemented a requirement for vessels that hold party/charter permits for Council-managed species to submit vessel trip reports electronically (eVTRs) while on a trip carrying passengers for hire.

2018: Framework 11 - Omnibus Acceptable Biological Catch Framework established a process for setting constant multi-year Acceptable Biological Catch (ABCs) limits for Council-managed fisheries; clarified that the Atlantic Bluefish, Tilefish, and Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMPs will now automatically incorporate the best available scientific information in calculating ABCs (as all other Mid-Atlantic management plans do) rather than requiring a separate management action to adopt them; clarified the process for setting ABCs for each of the four types of ABC control rules. Final Rule.

2018: Amendment 20 - Squid Amendment reduced latent directed permits, created limited access incidental permits, and lowered Trimester 2 post-closure trip limit to 250 pounds to discourage directed fishing after closures. Final Rule.

2018: Framework 12 - Atlantic Mackerel Closure Provisions Framework allowed the possession of 5,000 lb of Atlantic mackerel after 100 percent of the domestic annual harvest is caught instead of prohibiting the possession of Atlantic mackerel for the rest of the year. Final Rule.

2019: Framework 13 - Established a 5-year rebuilding plan for Atlantic mackerel, set 2019-2021 mackerel specifications, modified the Mid-Atlantic Council’s risk policy, and modified in-season closure measures for mackerel. Final Rule.

2020: Amendment 21 - Chub Mackerel Amendment established management of Atlantic chub mackerel through the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP. Final Rule.

2020: Framework 14 - Omnibus Commercial Electronic Reporting Framework established a requirement for commercial vessels with federal permits for Mid-Atlantic and New England Council-managed species to submit eVTRs within 48 hrs after the conclusion of a trip. Final Rule.

2020: Framework 15 - Omnibus ABC and Risk Policy Framework modified the Mid-Atlantic Council’s ABC control rule and risk policy. Final Rule.

2023: Amendment 23 - Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding 2.0 Amendment revised the rebuilding plan for mackerel, set 2023 mackerel fishery specifications, established a recreational possession limit for mackerel, and modified in-season closure measures for mackerel to include an initial closure with different thresholds based on time of year (before vs. on/after May 1) and a final closure when the fishery is close to harvesting the full commercial quota. Final Rule.

2024: Framework 16 - Illex Hold Framework established a hold capacity baseline requirement for limited access Illex squid vessels, allowed NOAA Fisheries to collect processing type information from limited access Illex and Tier 1 longfin squid vessels, and clarified existing VMS requirements.

Under Development

None at this time.