Mid Atlantic Saltwater Fishing Facts

Fishing Boats

Saltwater fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the Mid Atlantic region.

This article includes a few facts about recreational saltwater fishing in the Mid Atlantic including popular species, statistics, regulations, and other information.

Mid Atlantic Facts - Statistics

According to Fisheries Economics of the United States (FEUS) 2016:

The Mid-Atlantic Region includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. In 2016, there were 2.4 million recreational anglers who fished in the Mid-Atlantic Region, with14 million fishing trips taken.

In the report, recreational fishing refers to fishing for fun rather than to resell fish (commercial fishing) or for subsistence.

Key Mid-Atlantic Region Recreational Species:
• Atlantic croaker
• Black sea bass
• Bluefish
• Scup
• Spot
• Striped bass
• Summer flounder
• Tautog
• Weakfish drum
• Winter flounder

Top Mid Atlantic Catches:
summer flounder (12.2 million fish)
black sea bass (9.3 million fish)
and striped bass (8.6 million fish)

Top Catches by State:
Virginia caught the most Atlantic croaker and spot (5.6 million fish)
New Jersey caught the most summer flounder (6.9 million fish)
Maryland anglers caught the most striped bass (5.1 million fish)

Recreational Fishing Regulations

In the Mid Atlantic region, recreational fishing regulations are set by a combination of federal and state entities.

Federal Fisheries Management

Federal fisheries are generally defined as fishing activities that take place in the U.S.Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, between 3 and 200 nautical miles from the coastline). Generally, individual states retain management authority over fishing activities within three nautical miles of their coasts.

The authority to manage federal fisheries in the United States was granted to the Secretary of Commerce by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

NOAA Fisheries is the federal agency with delegated authority from the Secretary of Commerce to oversee fishing activities in federal waters.

The MSA has been reauthorized twice since its enactment, in 1996 and again in 2006.

The 2006 MSA reauthorization included a requirement to use annual catch limits (ACLs) to end and prevent overfishing.To limit ACL overages, regional fishing councils implement management measures as necessary.

In 2018, the MSA was amended by the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act, which focused on improvements to recreational fishing data and management of mixed-use fisheries.

Fishery management plans (FMPs) provide a framework for managing the harvest of fish stocks and stock complexes. FMPs are developed by Regional Fishery Management Councils (FMCs).

Federal fisheries in the Mid Atlantic region are managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and NOAA Fisheries under seven fishery management plans (FMPs).

Two of these FMPs are developed in conjunction with the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC). The MAFMC is the lead council for the Spiny Dogfish FMP; the NEFMC is the lead for the Monkfish FMP.

In addition, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) (www.asmfc.org) serves as a deliberative body of the Atlantic coastal states, coordinating the conservation and management of 27 nearshore fish species.

Highly migratory species such as tunas, mackerels, sharks, and billfish are managed by NOAA Fisheries. Several HMS species are subject to cooperative management by NOAA and international fishing organizations.

Recent Federal Actions Impacting the Mid Atlantic

In the fall of 2019, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum VI to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass.

The Addendum reduces all state commercial quotas by 18%, and implements a 1 fish bag limit and a 28”-35” recreational slot limit for ocean fisheries and a 1 fish bag limit and an 18” minimum size limit for Chesapeake Bay recreational fisheries. States may submit alternative regulations through conservation equivalency to achieve an 18% reduction in total removals relative to 2017 levels.

Addendum VI was initiated in response to the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment, which indicates the resource is overfished and experiencing overfishing. The Addendum’s measures are designed to reduce harvest, end overfishing, and bring fishing mortality to the target level in 2020.

Since catch and release practices contribute significantly to overall fishing mortality, the Addendum requires the mandatory use of circle hooks when fishing with bait to reduce release mortality in recreational striped bass fisheries.

Mid Atlantic Region State Agencies:

New York DEC (www.dec.ny.gov)
New Jersey Fish and Wildlife (www.njfishandwildlife.com)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (www.dnr.state.md.us)
Delaware DNREC (www.dnrec.delaware.gov)
Virginia Marine Resources Commission (www.mrc.state.va.us)
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (www.ncwildlife.org)

Related Information

2016 NOAA USA Recreational Fishing Statistics (saltwater)

RBFF 2017 Special Report on Fishing

Mid Atlantic Striped Bass EEZ Enforcement

2014 Recreational Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board recently to adopt 2014 recreational management measures for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass.

During the meeting, the Board approved Draft Addendum XXV for public comment. The addendum, which is intended to provide more equity in recreational harvest opportunities, includes options for regional management of summer flounder and ad-hoc regional management of black sea bass.

Summer Flounder

Based on the recreational harvest limit of 7.01 million pounds, the Council and Board recommended the use of conservation equivalency for the recreational summer flounder fishery in 2014.

Conservation equivalency allows individual states or voluntary regions to develop recreational measures that achieve a region- or state-specific harvest target.

The combination of state- or region-specific measures would be equivalent to the Council- and Board-approved non-preferred coastwide measures of an 18-inch TL minimum fish size, a 4 fish possession limit, and a May 1 – September 30 season.

Black Sea Bass

The Council and Board recommended that the 7% coastwide reduction needed to achieve the 2014 recreational harvest limit (2.26 million lbs) be taken in both state and federal waters.

If the state waters measures under Addendum XXV address the required reduction, the Council and Board recommended that federal waters measures include a 12.5-inch TL minimum size, a 15 fish possession limit, and open seasons from May 19 – September 18 and October 18 – December 31.

If the addendum does not address the required reduction, then coastwide measures for both state and federal waters would be set at a 13-inch TL minimum size, a 5 fish possession limit, and a June 1-September 30 season.

Scup

Based on the associated recreational harvest of 7.03 million pounds, the Council and Board approved federal water measures including a 9-inch minimum size, a 30 fish possession limit, and open season January 1-December 31. In state waters, the Board voted to continue using a regional approach to scup management under which states may set different measures.

source: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Regional Fishery Councils Approve Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Specifications

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) have established commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish for the 2014 fishing season and beyond.

For more information, visit: http://www.asmfc.org/



source: Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

MAFMC August Meeting

The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's August 2013 meeting to be held at the Double Tree by Hilton Wilmington, 4727 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803, phone 302-478-6000.

NOTE: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/august2013/

source: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

MAFMC River Herring Bycatch Cap

In June the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) approved a 236 metric ton (MT) cap on incidental catch of river herring and shad in the U.S. Atlantic mackerel fishery for 2014.

Under the new cap, the mackerel fishing fleet (primarily composed of trawlers) will risk early closure if they are unable to successfully avoid river herring and shad.

The catch cap is one of several protective measures slated to take effect next year as part of Amendment 14 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.

The amendment also calls for increased reporting and monitoring requirements for fishermen and dealers.

source: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Delaware Requests Special Management Zone Designations for EEZ Reef Sites

In December, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) approved a list of alternatives for public hearings relative to the request by Delaware to have its five reef sites in the EEZ designated as Special Management Zones (SMZs) under provisions of Amendment 9 to the Summer flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass FMP. 

MAFMC will host three public hearings (one each to be held in New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland) in January 2013 to receive public comment on the proposed alternatives.

Public comments received on the issue will be reviewed by the Council at its February 2013 meeting.

source: MAFMC

MAFMC-ASMFC 2013 Recreational Scup Fishery Management Actions

In December, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) met jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board to develop recreational management measures for the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fisheries in 2013.

The Board voted to adopt conservation equivalency in state waters for the 2013 recreational scup fishery.

MAFMC adopted the following management measures for federal waters:

* 30 fish possession limit

* 10 inch TL minimum fish size

* open season from January 1-December 31, 2013

The states will develop state-specific management measures for approval at the MAFMC February meeting.

source: MAFMC

Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan Amendments 14-15

The MAFMC recently approved Amendment 14 and initiated Amendment 15 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.

According to the MAFMC, the measures seek to improve catch monitoring and reduce bycatch of river herrings (blueback and alewife) and shads (American and hickory) in the Atlantic mackerel and longfin squid fisheries.

The recommendations, if approved by The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), will be implemented via Amendment 14 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.

River herrings and shads are among a number of important forage species in the Northeast region.  Although they are not managed as directed fisheries, river herrings and shads are caught as incidental catch (bycatch) by trawlers fishing for mackerel and squid.

Concerns about river herrings and shads bycatch have escalated in recent months after an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) stock assessment indicated that 92% of the 24 assessed river herring stocks were depleted. The Council initiated Amendment 14 in response to a request from the ASMFC.

Amendment 14 includes a catch cap for river herrings and shads in the mackerel fishery beginning in 2014 and increased vessel and dealer reporting requirements. The Council recommended that NMFS increase observer coverage in the mackerel fishery and require 100% coverage on mid-water trawlers.

Amendment 15 could include provisions for setting Annual Catch Limits, identifying Essential Fish Habitat, and establishing joint management with management partners such as the New England Fishery Management Council and/or the ASMFC.

source: MAFMC

MAFMC Volunteer Angler Data Workshop

In response to requests from the fishing community for hands-on participation in data collection, several states have implemented volunteer angler data collection programs to collect recreational data.

On Thursday, February 2, 2012, a one-day Volunteer Angler Data workshop will explore ways that these and future programs can be most effective.

This workshop, co-sponsored by the Council and the Marine Recreational Information Program (www.countmyfish.noaa.gov), will bring together the people who manage these state programs and other volunteer data collection programs to examine questions such as: "Which data needs are best filled by volunteer angler data?" and "How can programs establish and sustain angler enthusiasm and support?"

The meeting is open to the public and will be webcast. There will be opportunities for public participation from those attending in person as well as via webinar - webinar registration and additional information is available via the above link.

Details:

MAFMC Volunteer Angler Data Workshop

Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Four-Points Sheraton, BWI Airport

7032 Elm Road, Baltimore, MD 21240

And via the Internet at:

http://www.mafmc.org/events/volunteerdata.htm

source: MAFMC

2011 Flounder - Scup Fishing Regulations

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) has voted to increase the 2011 commercial and recreational harvest levels of both scup and summer flounder, welcome news for a beleaguered Atlantic Coast fishing community.

Following input from the Scup Monitoring Committee, the MAFMC, which met jointly today with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) management boards, voted to increase the total allowable catch for scup (porgy) from this year's 17.09 million pounds of quota to a catch of 24.1 million pounds in 2011.  The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) had recommended an acceptable biological catch as high as 51.7 million pounds, which would've represented a near 200% increase in quota if enacted.

Council members heard various recommendations from the monitoring committee, in addition to public comment from recreational and commercial fishing interests who traveled to Philadelphia to attend today's meetings, but voted on a more precautionary 41% increase in total allowable catch for next season.  For the recreational sector, the total allowable catch of 24.1 million pounds will result in a 4.4-million-pound harvest for the year.

On the summer flounder front, the MAFMC voted to increase the total allowable catch from this season's 25.48 million pounds to an increased quota of 33.95 million pounds in the year ahead.  The new total allowable landings for 2011 represent the highest allowable catch debated by the MAFMC today.  Recreational fishermen are hopeful that this increase in quota means improved summer flounder regulations for 2011, but that still rests in the hands of the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS) for 2010.

source: RFA press release

MAFMC Calls for New Black Sea Bass Regulations in 2010

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and four of its Committees met in Duck, North Carolina from April 13 until April 15, 2010.

The Council voted to send a letter to NMFS, upon receipt of NMFS' black sea bass proposed rule, to support adoption of the ASMFC 2010 Black Sea Bass recreational measures of a 3.7 million pound total allowable landings (TAL), a 12.5" minimum fish size, a 25 fish possession limit, and a season of May 22 through September 12.

source: MAFMC