FishWatch

Harvesting Acadian redfish

Commercial fishermen typically harvest redfish year-round with otter trawls. They also sometimes use hook and line gear.

Otter trawls used to harvest redfish can impact habitat, depending on where they are used. Vessels are prohibited from trawling in closed areas considered to be essential fish habitat or vital for protecting spawning fish. Acadian redfish can be found in areas where deep-sea corals are also present. Some research indicates that these deep-water corals serve as protective habitat for juvenile redfish. There is some concern that redfish harvests, which occur in deeper water, could result in negative impacts to deep sea corals; however, very little is known about the extent of this or the associated impacts. Research projects are underway to identify areas withthese deep water corals and the impacts of fishing in these areas.

Otter trawls can incidentally catch other fish and marine mammals. Fishermen follow a number of strict regulations and use modified fishing gear to reduce bycatch of other species. For example, the mesh on trawl nets must be above a minimum size to reduce bycatch of juvenile redfish and non-target species. Vessels are accountable for any groundfish bycatch, including juvenile groundfish. All groundfish caught are debited against a sector's allotted harvest. Vessels are prohibited from selling undersized fish, and smaller redfish are generally considered less marketable. Dogfish and pollock, both considered healthy stocks, are the primary bycatch for vessels targeting redfish.

Management

Who’s in charge? NOAA Fisheries and the New England Fishery Management Council

Current management: Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan , along with several other groundfish species

Management measures include:

• Permitting requirements
• Time/area closures to control the amount of fishing that may occur and fish that may be harvested, and to protect spawning fish and habitat.
• Gear restrictions.
• Minimum size limits to ensure that fish are able to spawn at least once before being caught.
• Limits on the number of days vessels can spend fishing and the amount they can catch per fishing trip. This measure is in place to control the amount of fish that may be caught and achieve long-term sustainable catch and population levels.

Managers implemented new measures for the Northeast groundfish fishery in 2010 to end overfishing, continue to rebuild overfished stocks, and maintain healthy stocks. These measures include:

• A limit on the amount of all groundfish that can be caught, as well as measures to respond if the catch limits are exceeded.
• Optional catch share program – fishing vessels may fish together in groups (sectors), which are established annually and are allocated a portion of the total available groundfish catch, based on the combined fishing history of sector member vessels. Sectors are exempt from many gear and area restrictions but must stop fishing for groundfish once the sector catches their allocation of fish. This gives fishermen more control over where and how they fish and allows them to target healthier stocks rather than overfished ones. Fishermen who choose not to join a sector must fish under the existing system of regulations, with limits on the number of days they can fish, amount they can catch, and when and where they can fish.

Annual Harvest

In 2010, U.S. commercial fishermen harvested 1,645 metric tons (3.6 million pounds) of redfish.

Economy

The 2010 commercial harvest of redfish was valued at $1.96 million. Currently, there is limited market demand for redfish and much of what is landed from the Gulf of Maine is used as lobster bait. The ex-vessel price for redfish is typically around $0.50/pound, so many fishermen do not target the species.

Recreational

Recreational catches of redfish are insignificant. There is a minimum size limit but no daily possession limit.