Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish

Click Below for Past Bulletins (Permit Holder Letters):

 Click Below for Past Federal Register Actions & Public Comments:

General Fisheries Information Sheets

• Gear Stowage Requirements
• Letters of Authorization
• Small Mesh Fishery Exemptions
• Large Mesh Fishery Exemptions

Atlantic Mackerel, Squid (Illex and Longfin), and Butterfish

• Atlantic Mackerel, Longfin Squid, Illex Squid, and Butterfish Information Sheet

Current Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)

• Subpart A - General Provisions
• Subpart B - Atlantic Mackerel, Squid (Illex and Loligo), and Butterfish

Other stock status information:  The mackerel stock was most recently assessed via a Transboundary Resource Assessment Committee in 2010 (TRAC 2010), which analyzed data through 2008. A number of different models and model formulations were evaluated. Given the uncertainty in the assessment results, the TRAC agreed that short term projections and characterization of stock status relative to estimated reference points would not be an appropriate basis for management advice at this time. Given current indications of reduced productivity and lack of older fish in the survey and catch, the TRAC recommended that annual total catches not exceed the average total landings (80,000 mt) over the last three years (2006-2008) until such time that new information suggests that a different amount is appropriate.

Most Recent Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):  Amendment 14; 2013 (Appendices)

Most Recent Biological Opinion:  2013

Most Recent Stock Assessment:  2010   

Next Stock Assessment: Not yet scheduled

Other stock status information:  The 2010 longfin squid assessment (NEFSC 2010) essentially found that the longfin squid stock appears to have successfully supported the range of observed catches (9,600 mt - 26,100 mt) during 1976-2009, as well as relatively high levels of finfish predation during 1977-1984 and 1999-2009. Catch divided by biomass was used to evaluate exploitation and the highest exploitation index occurred related to a catch of 23,400 mt which was the basis for the 2012-2014 ABC and has remained the same for the 2015-2017 ABC.

Most Recent Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):  Amendment 14; 2013 (Appendices)

Most Recent Biological Opinion:  2013

Most Recent Stock Assessment:  2010  

Next Stock Assessment:  Not yet scheduled

Other stock status information:  The short lifespan of Illex greatly complicates assessing the stock with the available survey and assessment resources.

Most Recent Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):  Amendment 14; 2013 (Appendices)

Most Recent Biological Opinion:   2013

Most Recent Stock Assessment:  2005

Next Stock Assessment:  Not yet scheduled

Other stock status information:  Butterfish was previously considered overfished, until the most recent stock assessment in March 2014 concluded that the stock is above target stock size and experiencing low fishing mortality.  The butterfish ABC of 33,278 mt for fishing year 2015 is a significant increase from the 2014 ABC of 9,100 mt.

Most Recent Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):  Amendment 14; 2013 (Appendices)

Most Recent Biological Opinion:   2013

Most Recent Stock Assessment:  2014

Next Stock Assessment:  Not yet scheduled

Trip Limits:

*See gear restrictions under the Gear tab of this website.

Fish Size Limits

Minimum fish size: Not applicable

Maximum fish size: Not applicable

What are the requirements for slipped catch?

Vessels carrying an observer with a limited access Atlantic mackerel (Tier 1, 2, and 3) and/or a longfin squid/butterfish moratorium permit cannot slip their catch except for one of the following reasons:  1) safety concern; 2) mechanical failure, including gear damage; or 3) excessive catch of spiny dogfish.  For vessels carrying an observer with a limited access Atlantic mackerel permit, if catch is slipped for one of the reasons listed above, the vessel operator must move and remain 15 nautical miles from where the slippage event occurred.  If the catch was slipped for any other reason, the vessel operator must immediately terminate the fishing trip and return to port.  Please see reporting requirements under the Reporting tab for instructions on reporting a slippage event.

Minimum mesh size:

Mackerel:  Not applicable.  

Butterfish:  Vessels fishing with otter trawl gear that possess 5,000 lb or more of butterfish, must use nets that have a minimum codend mesh of 3 inches (76 mm) diamond mesh, inside stretch measure, applied throughout the codend for at least 100 continuous meshes forward of the end of the net.  For codends with less than 100 meshes, one-third of the net must have a minimum mesh of 3 inches, measured from the back of the codend to the headrope.

Longfin squid:

Illex squid:

Illex Squid Trawl Exemption Area: 

Vessels fishing for Illex squid with otter trawl gear that possess longfin squid during June, July, August, and September seaward of the following coordinates (listed at bottom of page) are exempt from the longfin minimum mesh sizes, provided they do not have any net or piece of net with a mesh size less than 1 7/8 inches (48 mm) diamond mesh available for immediate use, when the vessel is landward of the exemption area boundary.

Other Gear Restrictions:

Mid-water trawl gear

Vessels with a mackerel or squid permit must obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to fish with mid-water trawl gear in the Gulf of Maine/George’s Bank (GOM/GB) Regulated Mesh Area, including Closed Area I, Closed Area II, the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, and other areas closed for NE multispecies conservation.

When fishing north of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may only fish for, possess, or land Atlantic herring, blueback herring, or Atlantic mackerel.  When fishing south of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may only fish for, possess, or land Atlantic herring, blueback herring, Atlantic mackerel, or squid.

Purse seine gear

Vessels with a mackerel permit must obtain an LOA to fish with purses seine gear in the GOM/GB Regulated Mesh Area.  The vessel may only fish for, possess, or land Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic herring, blueback herring, or menhaden.  

To request an LOA from the Regional Administrator, contact the Greater Atlantic Region Permit Office at (978) 281-9370.

Illex squid exemption area coordinates: 

Regulated, Closed, and Access Areas

Restricted Areas:

Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Restricted Areas

*Coordinates for each area are listed below.

• Vessels targeting Illex squid should also refer to the Gear tab in the Commercial section of this website.

Oceanographer Canyon Coordinates:

Lydonia Canyon Coordinates:

Scup Gear Restricted Areas (GRA):

Frank R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area

Effective on January 13, 2017

(Click to see a full size image of the above chart)

Please visit our GIS page to download any charts or coordinates.  This information can be found by clicking on the Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish tab.

https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/educational_resources/gis/data/index.html

Coordinates for the Broad Zone and each of the Discrete Zones:

Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone

Bounded on the east by the outer limit of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, and bounded on all other sides by straight lines connecting the following points in the order stated.  An asterisk (*) in the Discrete Zone column means the point is shared with a Discrete Deep-Sea Coral Zone.

Discrete Deep-Sea Coral Zones

All discrete deep-sea coral zones are defined by straight lines connecting the following points in the order stated.  An asterisk (*) in the Broad Zone column means the point is shared with the Broad Deep-Sea Coral Zone.

Block Canyon

Ryan and McMaster Canyons

Emery and Uchupi Canyons

Jones and Babylon Canyons

Hudson Canyon

Mey-Lindenkohl Slope

Spencer Canyon

Wilmington Canyon

North Heyes and South Wilmington Canyons

South Vries Canyon

Baltimore Canyon

Warr and Phoenix Canyon Complex

Accomac and Leonard Canyons

Washington Canyon

Norfolk Canyon

Days-At-Sea (DAS) Requirements:

The Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries are not managed by a DAS system.  Please see the ‘Fishery Quota’ and ‘Trip Limit’ section of this webpage for more information on effort control in the these fisheries. 

Exempted Fisheries

Exempted fisheries allow fishing vessels to fish for specific species without being subject to certain Northeast (NE) multispecies regulations, including days-at-sea, provided the bycatch of regulated species is minimal. To be approved and implemented, exemption programs must have demonstrated that incidental catch of NE multispecies is less than 5 percent of the total catch, by weight, and that the exemption will not jeopardize fishing mortality objectives.

How to Request Fishery Exemptions

An exempted fishery may be added, deleted, or modified pursuant to the procedure described below:

1. Applicants must submit a written request to the Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298. The request should describe the area in which the fishery would operate, the period in which it would operate, the gear it would use, the approximate number of vessels likely to participate, and the species it would target, retain, and land.
2. Those proposing that a fishery should be exempt should describe the fishery and present all information possible that helps determine that the fishery meets the bycatch standard. The Regional Administrator will investigate NMFS data sources, but proposals for exemptions should be complete and clear to facilitate the process. State agencies and universities, for example, may have additional data available and applicants may contact them for assistance.
3. When a request for an exempted fishery is submitted, the request and any accompanying data are reviewed by the Regional Administrator to determine whether such a fishery would meet the exemption qualifying criteria, which are described in the first paragraph of this information sheet. The Regional Administrator will also consult with the New England Fishery Management Council on any exemptions requested. This process may take several months to complete.

 NE multispecies regulations include four regulated mesh areas (RMAs) that regulate which gear can be used in each of the following areas:  Gulf of Maine (GOM); Georges Bank (GB); Southern New England (SNE); and Mid-Atlantic (MA).

Exemption Areas (EAs) and Fisheries Where Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries Can Be Retained

See the small mesh exemption information sheet for more information on retaining Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish in exempted fisheries. 

A vessel fishing for mackerel, squid, and/or butterfish in Federal waters must also comply with closed areas for other fisheries, including NE multispecies, unless using gear defined as not capable of catching NE multispecies.  Exempted gear includes the following:  Pelagic hook and line, pelagic longline, spears, rakes, diving gear, cast nets, tong, harpoons, weirs, dipnets, stop nets, pound nets, pelagic gillnets, pots and traps, shrimp trawls (with properly configured grates), and surfclam/ocean quahog dredges.

These include seasonal and year-round closures, Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) closures, and transiting/gear stowage requirements.

More information regarding multispecies regulations is available on the Northeast Multispecies page.

Transfers at Sea

A vessel with a valid longfin squid, Illex squid, and/or butterfish permit must apply for an LOA from the Regional Administrator to transfer and receive longfin squid, Illex squid, and/or butterfish at sea.  If the vessel has been issued a valid incidental squid and butterfish permit, it may transfer these species at sea, consistent with the applicable possession limits, but may not receive them.  Current valid incidental possession limits are:  2,500 lb of longfin, 600 lb of butterfish, and 10,000 lb of Illex per trip. 

Protected Resource and Marine Mammal Regulations

Protected Fish Species

• Atlantic Sturgeon - Endangered and threatened
• Shortnose Sturgeon– Endangered
• Atlantic Salmon - The Gulf of Maine (GOM) distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic salmon is endangered. 

Marine Mammals

• Reporting injured or dead marine mammal caught in fishing gear

Sea Turtles

• Handling and Resuscitation Requirements

Trawl Gear

For vessels fishing with trawl gear, please look at the websites listed below for more information on regulations regarding marine mammals and sea turtles. 

Marine Mammals

• Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Strategy
• Marine Mammal Authorization Program
• Reporting injured or dead marine mammal caught in fishing gear

Sea Turtles

• Annual Determination – Observer Requirements
• Handling and Resuscitation Requirements

Gillnet Gear

For vessels fishing with gillnet gear, please look at the websites listed below for more information on regulations regarding marine mammals and sea turtles. 

Marine Mammals

• Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan
• Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (Mid-Atlantic  and Southeast)
• Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan
• Marine Mammal Authorization Program
• Reporting injured or dead marine mammal caught in fishing gear

Sea Turtles 

• Annual Determination – Observer Requirements
• Handling and Resuscitation Requirements
• North Carolina/Virginia Large Mesh Gillnet Requirements

Possession Limits:

There are no recreational possession limits or fish size requirements in Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries.

Fish Size Limits:

Minimum Fish Size: None

Maximum Fish Size: None

For information on fishing in state waters (0-3 nautical miles), click on the relevant state below.

Maine

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

New York

New Jersey

Delaware

Maryland

Virginia

North Carolina

Gear Requirements

Not Applicable

Regulated, Closed, and Access Areas

Not Applicable

Days-At-Sea (DAS) Requirements:

The Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries are not managed by a DAS system.  Please see the ‘Fishery Quota’ and ‘Trip Limit’ section of this webpage for more information on effort control in the these fisheries. 

Exempted Fisheries

Not Applicable

Protected Resource and Marine Mammal Regulations

Not applicable.

Commercial Reporting

Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR):  VTRs must be submitted with record of all fishing activity for each month.  All Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish vessels  must have VTRs submitted to NMFS or postmarked within 15 days after the end of the reporting month.  Tier 3 mackerel vessels must have VTRs submitted to NMFS or postmarked by Tuesday at midnight for the previous weeks catch.  Reports can also be submitted electronically here.  If no fishing activity took place during a fishing month or week, then a VTR must be submitted stating that no fishing trips were taken. 

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System Requirements:  The Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries do not have any IVR requirements.  However, if you are participating in a research program such as research set-aside (RSA) or fishing with an exempted fishing permit (EFP), there are IVR requirements.  Please refer to your RSA or EFP paperwork for instruction on using IVR.

Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Requirements:  All limited access Atlantic mackerel and limited access longfin squid/butterfish permits must have a VMS.  Vessels with a limited access Atlantic mackerel permit must declare into the mackerel fishery through VMS prior to leaving port.  Additionally, if these vessels intend to land more than 20,000 lb of mackerel, you must notify NMFS through VMS 6 hours prior to arrival in port or immediately upon leaving fishing grounds if fishing ends less than 6 hours before arrival in port.  Vessels with a limited access longfin squid/butterfish moratorium permit must declare into the longfin squid fishery through VMS prior to leaving port.

Vessels with a limited access Atlantic mackerel and/or a longfin squid/butterfish moratorium permit must complete, sign, and submit a Released Catch Affidavit following any slippage event.  Via the VMS, vessels must complete the Atlantic mackerel and longfin squid daily catch report to report a slippage event.  Vessels with a limited access Atlantic mackerel permit must complete the daily catch report at the time of the slippage event and before moving 15 nautical miles or returning to port.

Observer Requirements: 

Pre-Trip Observer Notification:

As of April 26, 2016, vessels with a longfin squid and butterfish moratorium permit are no longer required to call into the pre-trip notification system (PTNS).

Charter/Party and Recreational Reporting

Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR):  If the owner of a party or charter boat is issued only a charter/party permit, and is carrying passengers for hire, then they must complete a VTR for each trip on which they land any fish.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System Requirements:  The Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries do not have any IVR requirements. However, if you are participating in a research program such as research set-aside (RSA) or fishing with an exempted fishing permit (EFP), there are IVR requirements.  Please refer to your RSA or EFP paperwork for instruction on using IVR.

Additionally, the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) is a system of coordinated voluntary data collection programs designed to estimate recreational catch and effort.