Age Determination Methods for Northwest Atlantic Species
This manual documents age determination techniques used by staff at the Woods Hole Laboratory to…
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The black sea bass fishery in the U.S. operates from Maine to Florida. Black sea bass are found in association with structured habitats. They migrate offshore and south in the fall, returning north and inshore to coastal areas and bays in spring. The black sea bass fishery predominantly uses trawls or rod and reel, but other gear includes longline, handline, pot, trap, gillnet, spear, and dredge. The market for black sea bass is for human consumption. U.S. wild-caught black sea bass is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations. Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 648 subpart I.
Above target population levels in the Mid-Atlantic. Below target levels and fishing rate promotes population growth in the South Atlantic.
At recommended levels.
Fishing gears used to harvest black sea bass have minimal impacts on habitat.
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
2020 Recreational Harvest Limit (RHL) | 5.81 million lb |
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For all charter/party permit holders, VTRs must be maintained on board the vessel and submitted to NOAA Fisheries for all fishing trips, regardless of species retained. Instructions for completing the VTR can be found online on our reporting page.
Charter/Party vessel permit owners and operators with a federal charter/party (for-hire) permit to fish for black sea bass (and other Mid-Atlantic species) must submit the required VTR by electronic means through a software application approved by NOAA Fisheries. These electronic log VTRs must be submitted within 48 hours after entering port at the conclusion of a trip. More information of the eVTR requirements and help with electronic reporting can be found online on our reporting page.
The recreational (charter/party) black sea bass fishery does not have any Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), or specific observer requirements. However, all federally permitted vessels are obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program.
Reporting is not required for the private recreational fishery, but the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) is a system of voluntary coordinated data collection programs designed to estimate recreational catch and effort.
The minimum commercial size limit for black sea bass is 11 inches in total length (Note: Filament/tail extension is NOT included in total length measurement).
There are no federal possession limit requirements in the commercial black sea bass fishery, unless using certain gear types (see below).
Please check with your state agency for any state or regional measures and requirements that may apply.
Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 19.39 million lb |
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Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 15.07 million lb |
Commercial Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 6.98 million lb |
Commercial Annual Catch Target (ACT) | 6.98 million lb |
Commercial Quota | 5.58 million lb |
VTRs must be submitted with a record of all fishing activity for each month. The reports must be submitted to NOAA fisheries or postmarked within 15 days after the end of the reporting month. Reports can also be submitted electronically through our online reporting page.
The commercial black sea bass fishery does not have any Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), or specific observer requirements. However, all federally permitted vessels are obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program.
Otter trawlers – Vessels fishing under a black sea bass moratorium permit must have a minimum mesh size of 4.5-in diamond mesh applied throughout the codend for at least 75 continuous meshes forward of the end of the net. For codends with less than 75 meshes, the entire net must have a minimum mesh size of 4.5-in diamond mesh throughout. Black sea bass must be stored so as to be readily available for inspection in a standard 100 lb tote.
Vessels with a black sea bass moratorium permit that are not fishing in compliance with the above mesh requirements may retain no more than 500 lb from January 1 through March 31, and no more than 100 lb from April 1 through December 31.
Roller gear – A fishing vessel shall not use roller rig trawl gear with rollers greater than 18 inches in diameter.
Pots and traps – Black sea bass pots must have ghost panels (measuring 3 in by 6 in), degradable hinges, two escape vents in the parlor, and identification as follows:
The black sea bass fishery is managed in state and federal waters by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, in conjunction with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. NOAA Fisheries serves as the implementing body for rules and regulations within the fishery.
The fishery is managed using minimum size, season, and a bag limit for the recreational fishery; and an annual coast-wide quota, size limit, and gear restrictions for the commercial fishery.
The fishing year runs from January 1 through December 31, and there are no specified management areas for the fishery; with NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region jurisdiction covering black sea bass from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (35° 15.3’ N latitude).
Control Date for the Black Sea Bass Fishery: June 5, 2001
The Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) requires the specification of catch and harvest limits for up to three years at a time. In 1997, Judge Robert Dumar ordered that specifications must publish before the fishing year begins.
If the coast-wide commercial black sea bass quota is fully harvested, then the commercial black sea bass fishery will be closed.
Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 19.39 million lb |
---|---|
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 15.07 million lb |
Commercial Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 6.98 million lb |
Commercial Annual Catch Target (ACT) | 6.98 million lb |
Recreational ACL and ACT | 8.09 million lb |
Commercial Quota | 5.58 million lb |
Recreational Harvest Limit (RHL) | 5.81 million lb |
Any overages of the annual coast-wide quota will be deducted from the quota allocation for the following year in the final rule that establishes the annual quota.
The recreational sector ACL will be evaluated based on a 3-year moving average comparison of total catch (landings and dead discards). Both landings and dead discards will be evaluated in determining if the 3-year average recreational ACL has been exceeded. If available data indicate that the recreational sector ACL has been exceeded, the total catch exceeds the ABC, or the total catch exceeds the OFL, then a system of accountability measures will be used that are based on a combination of how high the overage is and what condition the stock is in. In other words, the status of the stock determines what type of management response would be implemented, including adjustment of management measures, scaled payback of overage, or pound-for-pound overage payback. These adjustments will be made in the following fishing year, or as soon as possible, as a single year adjustment.
The most recent benchmark stock assessment for black sea bass was in 2016, where the stock was declared not overfished and overfishing was not occurring. The next assessment for black sea bass is an operational assessment, scheduled for August 2019. This operational assessment will incorporate revised Marine Recreational Information Program data.
Stock | Black Sea Bass |
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Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) | 48.9 million lb (2015) |
SSBMSY Proxy | 21.3 million lb |
SSB / ½ SSBMSY Proxy | 2.30 |
Overfished Definition | The stock is overfished when SSB < ½ SSBMSY |
Overfished? | No |
Fishing Mortality Rate (F) | 0.27 (2015) |
FMSY | 0.36 |
F/FMSY | 0.75 |
Overfishing Definition | Overfishing occurs when F > FMSY |
Overfishing? | No |
Current Rebuilding Program? | No. Black sea bass stock declared rebuilt in 2009 |
Next Stock Assessment | Operational assessment scheduled for Summer 2019 |
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