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

2019 New England Recreational Fishing Workshops

Improving New England Recreational Fisheries Management Workshops
January 8, 2019 - January 12, 2019

NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office is hosting three workshops to provide an opportunity for stakeholder input on developing both short- and long-term management measures for the recreational fishing community.

Through a collaborative process, the agency hopes to develop management measures for the recreational groundfish fishery that balance the need to prevent overfishing with enabling profitability in the for-hire fleet and worthwhile fishing opportunities for anglers.

Stakeholders can attend either January 8 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; January 10 in Narragansett, Rhode Island; or January 12 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.


Objectives

Short-term: Develop potential new management measures to achieve, but not exceed, recreational catch limits in Fishing Year 2019, including Gulf of Maine cod/haddock.

Long-term: Think creatively about how to meaningfully use new Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) data in management of groundfish stocks with a recreational catch component in the long-term (defined as Fishing Year 2020 and beyond).

Assess and evaluate available research around: methods for avoidance and reduction of bycatch mortality, calculation methods for dead discards, and release methods. NOAA will also identify gaps for future research.

Develop methods to regularly engage with captains and anglers throughout the season to get feedback on catch and trends, and develop ideas on how to enhance coordination between NOAA Fisheries, state partners, scientists, and the recreational fishing community.


Event Details

Space will be limited, and NOAA encourages registering in advance. Once registered, meeting materials and updates will be emailed directly to attendees, when available. Additional meeting materials, including the agenda, will be posted mid-December.

The workshops will be held on the dates listed. Exact timing will be posted on the agenda, and will be approximately from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Each workshop will have the same agenda, and while the discussions may vary depending on the state and local target species. NOAA requests that attendees only register for one workshop so that as many people as possible may attend.

Summaries of recommendations from the workshops will be presented to the New England Fishery Management Council’s Recreational Advisory Panel and the full Council in January.

More Information

For more information, contact Moira Kelly , Recreational Fisheries Coordinator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office or Jessica Joyce , Meeting Planner and Facilitator, Tidal Bay Consulting, LLC.

Register online:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-recreational-fishing-workshop-nh-tickets-52541276372

source: Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office

Noncommercial Fishing Forum (Hawaii)

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will host a noncommercial fishing forum on June 25,2014, at the Harbor View Center at Pier 38, 1129 North Nimitz Highway, Honolulu.

Included will be discussions about catch limits, fishing licenses, data collection and other issues relating to recreational, subsistence and cultural fishing.

The Forum will also include a NOAA-led listening session to allow fishermen to comment on a proposed national recreational fishing policy, informational booths, door prizes, and more.

source: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council

2014 West Coast USA Ocean Salmon Seasons

The Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted a set of ocean salmon seasons that provides both recreational and commercial opportunities coastwide.

Washington and Oregon fishermen, in particular, will be benefit from higher-than-usual salmon returns in the Columbia River this year.

Salmon fisheries in California and Oregon provide access to an expected good return of Sacramento River fall Chinook while meeting protective measures for Klamath River fall Chinook, Sacramento River winter Chinook, and California Coastal Chinook.
   
The recommendation will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval by May 1, 2014.

“Everyone is excited about the strong, near-record, abundance of Columbia River stocks and improved numbers of coho salmon,” said Council Chair Dorothy Lowman.  “it is rewarding to see hard work translate into a balance of achieving conservation goals while providing good seasons for both recreational and commercial ocean salmon fisheries this summer.”

The coastal states will decide on compatible freshwater fishery regulations at their respective Commission hearings.

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

source: Pacific Fishery Management Council

2014 Summer Flounder Regulations - Atlantic States

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) recently approved a combination of state and regional proposals for the 2014 summer flounder recreational fishery.

The fishery will be managed through regional management measures for two regions:

(1) Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, including the Potomac River Fisheries Commission:

a 16-inch minimum size limit

4 fish bag limit

a year-round season

(2) Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey Regulations:

an 18-inch minimum size

5 fish bag limit

128 day open season with not more than 45 days open from May 1 – June 30.

States will also have the option to develop a program that allows for a 16-inch minimum size limit at state designated sites offering only shore-based fishing access.

North Carolina summer flounder regulations are expected to remain unchanged for the 2014 fishing season.

States are undergoing their administrative processes to adopt regulations. Once regulations are finalized, they will be available on state and Commission websites.

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

source: Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Alaska Halibut Catch Sharing Plan

NOAA Fisheries is implementing a halibut catch sharing plan for the commercial and charter halibut fisheries in Southeast Alaska (Area 2C) and the Central Gulf of Alaska (Area 3A).

Prior to the catch sharing plan, the charter sector was managed under a guideline harvest level—a management program that was not optimal in preventing fishing overages when harvest of halibut by recreational anglers on charter vessels increased in areas 2C and 3A beginning in the late 1990s.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended the catch sharing plan to replace the guideline harvest level with a clear allocation between the commercial and charter sectors in areas 2C and 3A. The Council urged NOAA Fisheries to implement the halibut catch sharing plan in time for the 2014 fishing season.

Under the catch sharing plan, commercial and charter halibut operations will have a combined catch limit determined by the International Pacific Halibut Commission each year prior to the fishing season. Allocations to the charter and commercial sectors will vary with changes in halibut abundance, according to NOAA Fisheries. 
 
One element of the plan that allows for flexibility is the “guided angler fish” program, which authorizes annual transfers of commercial halibut individual fishing quota to charter halibut permit holders to give charter anglers the opportunity to land halibut up to the limit in place for unguided anglers.

For example, if unguided anglers were allowed to retain two halibut of any size per person per day, and charter anglers were limited to one halibut of a specific size per person per day, charter halibut operators could use the guided angler fish program to permit a client to harvest up to two fish of any size per day.  

A copy of the final halibut catch sharing plan is available online at the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region website: http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/

source: NOAA Fisheries

March SAFMC Meeting Update

A number of federal fishery management measures were approved for submission to the Secretary of Commerce during a recent South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) meeting.

The following measures were submitted for final approval and implementation by NOAA Fisheries:

 * Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 18 - Adjustments for Vermillion Snapper and Red Porgy.

 * Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 27 - Captain and crew bag limit retention, crew size on dual-permitted vessels, framework actions, removal of blue runner from the fishery management unit and measures for Nassau grouper.

 * Joint South Atlantic/Gulf Generic Headboat/Charterboat Reporting Amendment - Addresses Reporting Requirements for Headboats.

 * Joint Generic Dealer Amendment - Requirements for electronic reporting and frequency of reporting for seafood dealers.

The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for June 10-14, 2013 in Stuart, Florida. Details for the meeting and meeting materials will be posted at www.safmc.net

source: SAFMC

ASMFC Seeks Comments on Summer Flounder FMP Draft Addendum XXIV

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board has released Draft Addendum XXIV to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan for public comment.

According to ASMFC, the Draft Addendum proposes to stabilize 2013 recreational fishing rules for summer flounder close to those that existed in 2012 partly to minimize the reductions facing two states (e.g., New York and New Jersey) and partly to allow for the more equitable distribution of fishing opportunities in the 2013 season.

The proposed approach is intended to allow states to capitalize on harvest opportunities that are foregone by states that choose not to fully utilize their 2013 harvest target.

Fishermen and other interested groups can provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment.

The Draft Addendum can be obtained via wwww.asmfc.org or by contacting the Commission at 703.842.0740.

Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on April 12, 2013 and should be forwarded to:

Toni Kerns
ISFMP Director
1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N
Arlington, VA 22201

703.842.0741 (FAX) or tkerns@asmfc.org  (Subject line: Summer Flounder).

Source: ASMFC

2012 Atlantic Coast Black Sea Bass Regulations

The ASFMC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board recently approved Addendum XXII to the Fishery Management Plan. The Addendum, which applies only to black sea bass, replaces coastwide recreational management measures for the second consecutive year and attempts to again mitigate potential disproportionate impacts to some Mid-Atlantic states whose landings have declined markedly in recent years.

In 2011, Addendum XXI established state-by-state measures, requiring states from Massachusetts to New Jersey, plus North Carolina to cut harvest by 37% to 43% to meet the coastwide recreational harvest target.

Addendum XXII establishes a regional management approach which allows the northern region states (Massachusetts to New Jersey) to collectively liberalize up to 57%.

The southern region states (Delaware to North Carolina) have committed to implementing measures consistent with those recommended for federal waters (the 25 fish, 12.5 inches TL minimum fish size, and an open season from May 19 to October 14 and November 1 to December 31).

Preliminary estimated harvest in 2011 was 0.99 million pounds, approximately 0.8 million pounds below the 2012 harvest target. While not required, states in the northern region will strive to implement similar recreational measures throughout that region. The regulations will be implemented for state waters only. Over the next two months, states will submit proposed recreational measures for Technical Committee review and Board approval.

source: ASFMC

Fishing Ban for South Atlantic Red Snapper Extended

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has announced that it will extend the ban of commercial and recreational fishing for the red snapper in federal waters off North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the Atlantic coast of Florida.
                     
The prohibition takes effect, December 3, 2010, replacing a temporary fishing prohibition due to expire December 5. The final rule authorizing the action filed in the Federal Register.

The final rule also includes an area closure off southern Georgia and northeastern Florida, which would prohibit commercial and recreational fishing for snappers, groupers, and some other bottom fish species to reduce bycatch of red snapper.

According to NOAA, the additional area closure will be delayed until June 1 to allow time to consider the results of a new scientific assessment that the red snapper population may be in better condition than was previously estimated.

The assessment was completed after the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council submitted its request for NOAA’s Fisheries Service to implement the final rule. By delaying the area closure, the agency is providing additional time for the council to review the new scientific assessment and reconsider the area closure.

The final rule also requires fishermen to use non-stainless steel circle hooks, which can reduce hook-related injuries, when fishing for snapper-grouper species with natural bait in federal waters north of the 28 degrees north latitude. The circle hook requirement becomes effective March 3.

The South Atlantic Council is scheduled to review the new assessment and discuss the area closure at its December meeting in North Carolina.

source: NOAA press release