FishWatch

Harvesting monkfish

Fishermen harvest monkfish using trawls and gillnets. Although trawls can affect habitat, most trawls catch monkfish over sand and mud habitats, which tend to recover from any disturbance faster than more structured habitats. Researchers have determined that monkfish fishing gear does not harm monkfish “essential fish habitat.” Managers have implemented a variety of measures to protect habitat of other bottom-dwelling fish from any potential impacts from the monkfish fishery:

• Two areas are closed to monkfish fishing (both bottom trawlers and gillnetters) year-round to protect sensitive habitat.
• Fishermen must use gear with specific requirements that prevent them from fishing in sensitive hard bottom areas.
• Fisheries observers monitor the fishery for compliance with management measures and collect data for future fishery management decisions.

Monkfish fisheries sometimes incidentally catch dogfish and skates. Fishermen are allowed to keep both of these species as long as they have the appropriate Federal permits and the fishing seasons for these species are open. There is a limit on the amount of bycatch allowed, and the mesh on gillnets and trawl nets must be larger than the established minimum size to reduce bycatch.

Gillnets used to target monkfish can incidentally capture protected species, such as sea turtles, large whales (right, humpback, and fin whales), harbor porpoise, and dolphins. Monkfish fishermen follow a number of measures to reduce the fishery’s potential impact on protected species:

• In the Mid-Atlantic, management measures designed to reduce sea turtle bycatch prohibit gillnet vessels from using large mesh (7 inches or greater) gillnets in certain areas during certain times of the year to protect migrating sea turtles. These rolling closures are timed based on projected sea surface temperatures in monkfish fishing areas, as sea turtles are known to migrate into these areas when temperatures are about 52 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. The closures move large-mesh gillnetting north in advance of sea turtles migrating into monkfish fishing areas and, along with other precautions, have greatly reduced incidental catch of sea turtles in this fishery.
• In the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England, monkfish gillnets can seriously injure or kill various marine mammals, particularly harbor porpoises. Managers implemented several measures to reduce interactions between harbor porpoises and gillnets in these areas. Fishermen may not fish in certain areas when harbor porpoises are most abundant. They are required to have acoustic alarms, or pingers, on their nets in specific areas and seasons to deter harbor porpoises and to prevent them from getting entangled in gillnets. NOAA Fisheries closely monitors harbor porpoise bycatch rates in areas where bycatch has previously been high. If observed bycatch rates exceed bycatch limits, managers may implement additional closures in these areas.

Monkfish gillnets also pose a risk to large whales (such as right, humpback, and fin whales) and are required to comply with the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan requirements (such as placing weak links throughout gillnet gear).

Management

Who’s in charge? NOAA Fisheries and the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils

Current management: Monkfish Fishery Management Plan
Managers divided U.S. waters into two management areas north and south of Georges Bank to accommodate differences in monkfish fishing practices. The Northern Fishery Management Area covers the Gulf of Maine and the northern part of Georges Bank; the Southern Fishery Management Area extends from the southern flank of Georges Bank through the Mid-Atlantic Bight to North Carolina. Management measures include:

• An annual catch limit for the monkfish fishery, specifying how much monkfish can be caught each year. If reported harvests exceed this limit, the overage is deducted from the next year’s annual catch limit.
• Fishermen must have the appropriate permit to harvest monkfish. Managers limit the number of permits available to control the number of vessels operating in the fishery. Permitted vessels are allocated a specified number of days-at-sea and amount of monkfish they can harvest per fishing trip (trip limits). They must submit an accurate report of their catch for each fishing trip.
• Monkfish must be larger than the minimum established size to be harvested (currently 17 inches total length or 11 inches tail length).
• A number of measures (described above) have been implemented to reduce bycatch and impacts on habitat.

Annual Harvest

In 2010, commercial harvest of monkfish totaled over 16 million pounds.

Economy

Monkfish is one of the highest valued finfish in the Northeast. The 2010 harvest was worth over $19.2 million. Almost all of the monkfish for sale in the United States comes from U.S. fisheries. The United States is also a major exporter of monkfish, supplying foreign markets in Asia and Europe with livers, tails, cheeks, and whole fish.