Golden Tilefish
About The Species
Golden tilefish are found along the outer continental shelf and slope from Nova Scotia, Canada to Suriname. The golden tilefish fishery in the U.S. is managed from Maine through Virginia, with the majority of the fishery concentrated between Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, south to Cape May, New Jersey; more specifically between Hudson and Veatch Canyons. The commercial fishery predominantly uses longline gear, although handline, rod and reel, and trawl gear are also authorized. Only rod and reel gear is allowed in the recreational golden tilefish fishery. The market for golden tilefish is for human consumption and is often used in sushi. U.S. wild-caught golden tilefish 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 N.
![Population Status Icon](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201219024052im_/https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/species--fish-population.png)
Population Level
Above target population levels in the Gulf of Mexico, and near target population levels in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic.
![Fishing Status Icon](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201219024052im_/https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/species--fish-status.png)
Fishing Status
At recommended levels in the Mid-Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic.
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Habitat Impacts
Fishing gear used to catch tilefish rarely contacts the ocean floor and has minimal impacts on habitat.
![Bycatch Icon](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201219024052im_/https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/species--bycatch.png)
Bycatch
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
Status
- According to the 2017 stock assessment, the Mid-Atlantic stock is not overfished and is not subject to overfishing. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
- According to the 2016 stock assessment, the South Atlantic stock is not overfished, and is not subject to overfishing based on 2018 catch data. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
- According to the 2011 stock assessment, the Gulf of Mexico stock is not overfished and is not subject to overfishing. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
Appearance
- Tilefish, sometimes known as “the clown of the sea,” are colorful.
- They are iridescent blue-green on the back, with numerous spots of bright yellow and gold. Their bellies are white, and their heads are rosy with blue under the eyes.
- Their pectoral fins are sepia-colored, and the edge of their anal fins is purplish-blue.
- Golden tilefish are easily distinguishable from other members of the tilefish family by the large crest on their head.
Biology
- Tilefish grow slowly, up to 43 inches, although the average size harvested is 24 inches.
- They have a long life span, up to 46 years (females) and 39 years (males). These are the oldest tilefish on record, but radiometric dating techniques indicate tilefish may live as long as 50 years.
- Tilefish are able to reproduce when they reach 13 inches long and 3 pounds (approximately 2 to 4 years old).
- Tilefish spawn from March through November in the Atlantic and from January through June in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Spawning peaks in June (Mid-Atlantic) and from April to June (South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico).
- Females release 2 to 8 million eggs when they spawn.
- Tilefish feed during the day on the bottom, eating shrimp, crabs, clams, snails, worms, anemones, and sea cucumbers.
- Monkfish, spiny dogfish, conger eels, large bottom-dwelling sharks (such as dusky and sandbar sharks), and other tilefish prey on juvenile tilefish.
Where They Live
- Tilefish are found along the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope of the entire U.S. East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico.
- They are most abundant from Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, south to Cape May, New Jersey.
Management
- The Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils develop management measures for the tilefish fisheries in their respective jurisdictions. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for implementing and enforcing these measures.
- The Mid-Atlantic/Southern New England Tilefish Fishery Management Plan includes:
- Annual catch limits.
- Permit requirements.
- Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program.
- An overall annual limit on incidental landings of tilefish and a per-trip possession limit.
- Closure of the incidental fishery if the annual limit is reached, prohibiting any additional landings.
- Prohibition of bottom-tending mobile gear (such as trawls) in certain areas in federal waters to reduce impacts on key tilefish habitats.
- The South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan includes:
- Permit requirements, including a limited access endorsement program to harvest golden tilefish with longline.
- Annual catch limits by commercial gear type (longline and hook-and-line).
- Commercial trip limits.
- Prohibition of longline gear in certain areas to protect snapper-grouper species spawning sites and live-bottom habitat.
- The Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan includes:
- Annual catch limits for recreational and commercial anglers.
- A commercial IFQ program.
- To protect reef fish, sea turtles, and bottom habitat, restrictions on the areas/depths where longlines can be used.
- The South Atlantic stock is subject to overfishing according to the 2016 stock assessment. When overfishing occurs, managers take measures to reduce the fishing rate to end overfishing.
- The commercial tilefish fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico are managed through IFQ programs.
- Specific details vary by region but, in general, managers allocate a percentage of the annual catch to participating fishermen.
- Fishermen choose when to fish for their allocation throughout the year, ideally when market and weather conditions are best. This also results in a more consistent supply of fish to the consumer and increased safety at sea.
- Catch share programs, such as these IFQ programs, offer fishermen a direct incentive to use sustainable fishing practices – the quota may be increased as fish populations grow, leading to an increase in each fisherman's individual allocation and subsequent profits.
- For more information, visit the NOAA Fisheries Mid-Atlantic Tilefish Fishery Management Plan website, the NOAA Fisheries Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan website, or the NOAA Fisheries South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan website.
Recreational Fishing Regulations
Possession Limits and Fish Size Requirements
- The recreational golden tilefish fishery is open year round.
- The recreational possession limit of golden tilefish is eight fish per angler, per trip.
- There are no fish size limits in the recreational tilefish fisheries.
Current Golden Tilefish Specifications (November 1, 2019-October 31, 2020)
Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 2.291 million lb |
---|---|
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 1.636 million lb |
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 1.636 million lb |
Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Annual Catch Target (ACT) |
1.554 million lb |
Incidental ACT | 0.082 million lb |
IFQ Total Allowable Landings (TAL) | 1.554 million lb |
Incidental TAL | 0.072 million lb |
Reporting A Recreational Catch
Reporting A Recreational Catch
Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR)
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.
eVTRs
Charter/Party vessel permit owners and operators with a federal charter/party (for-hire) permit to fish for golden tilefish (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.
Other Reporting Information
The recreational (charter/party) golden tilefish 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.
More Information
Commercial Fishing Regulations
Possession and Size Requirements
The commercial/incidental trip limit (for vessels that possess a Commercial/Incidental Tilefish Permit without an IFQ Allocation Permit) is 500 lb or 50 percent, by weight, of all fish (including the golden tilefish) onboard the vessel, whichever is less. Fish must have head and fins attached, but may be gutted.
Any golden tilefish landed by a vessel fishing under an IFQ Allocation Permit on a given fishing trip count as landings under the IFQ Allocation Permit. Commercial vessels are prohibited from discarding golden tilefish, unless fishing under the incidental catch limit.
There are no fish size limits in the tilefish fisheries.
Current Golden Tilefish Specifications (November 1, 2019-October 31, 2020)
Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 2.291 million lb |
---|---|
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 1.636 million lb |
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 1.636 million lb |
Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Annual Catch Target (ACT) |
1.554 million lb |
Incidental ACT | 0.082 million lb |
IFQ Total Allowable Landings (TAL) | 1.554 million lb |
Incidental TAL | 0.072 million lb |
Reporting A Commercial Catch
Reporting A Commercial Catch
Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR)
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. Copies of VTRs must be retained on board the vessel for 1 year after the date of the last entry on the log and otherwise retained for 3 years after the date of the last entry on the log. Reports can also be submitted electronically through our online reporting page.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Golden tilefish vessels fishing under a tilefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) allocation must submit a tilefish catch report by using the interactive voice response (IVR) phone line system within 48 hours after returning to port and offloading. The IVR system will ask for the following information: Vessel permit number and PIN; VTR serial number; federal dealer number; and pounds landed. The IVR number is (888) 284-4904. To get your PIN or for IVR questions during business hours, call (978) 281-9133.
Other Reporting Information
The commercial golden tilefish fishery does not have any 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.
Commercial Gear Information
Commercial Gear Information
Bottom-tending mobile gear (such as trawl gear) may not be used in specified gear-restricted areas (see below). There are no other gear requirements in the commercial tilefish fisheries.
Tilefish Gear Restricted Areas
There are four canyons that have been designated Tilefish Gear Restricted Areas. These areas are closed to vessels with bottom-tending mobile gear and are described in the tilefish regulations at 50 CFR 648.297. No vessel of the United States may fish with bottom-tending mobile gear (otter trawls, beam trawls, hydraulic dredges, non-hydraulic dredges, and seines) within the restricted areas described below; which include Lydonia, Norfolk, Oceanographer, and Veatch Canyons.
![Tilefish gear.jpg](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201219024052im_/https://cdn2.webdamdb.com/md_gALh1OB5Put4.jpg?1560261378)
Lydonia Canyon | Norfolk Canyon | Oceanographer Canyon | Veatch Canyon | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N Lat. | W Long. | N Lat. | W Long. | N Lat. | W Long. | N Lat. | W Long. |
40°31'55.2" | 67°43'1.2" | 37°5'50" | 74°45'34" | 40°29'50" | 68°10'30" | 40°0'40" | 69°37'8" |
40°28'52" | 67°38'43" | 37°6'58" | 74°40'48" | 40°29'30" | 68°8'34.8" | 40°41'69" | 69°35'25" |
40°21'39.6" | 67°37'4.8" | 37°4'31" | 74°37'46" | 40°25'51.6" | 68°6'36" | 39°54'43" | 69°33'54" |
40°21'39.6" | 67°37'4.8" | 37°4'1" | 74°33'50" | 40°22'22.8" | 68°6'50.4" | 39°54'43" | 69°40'52" |
40°21'4" | 67°43'1" | 36°58'37" | 74°36'58" | 40°19'40.8" | 68°4'48" | - | - |
40°28'31" | 67°43' | 37°4'26" | 74°41'2" | 40°19'5" | 68°2'19" | - | - |
- | - | - | - | 40°16'41" | 68°1'16" | - | - |
- | - | - | - | 40°14'28" | 68°11'28" | - | - |
Subsistence Fishing Regulations
Management Overview
The golden tilefish fishery from Maine through Virginia is managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and NOAA Fisheries implements the regulations.
The commercial fishery has operated under an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program since 2009, as well as a coast-wide incidental quota and possession limit. The recreational fishery is managed using bag limits. The fishing year runs from November 1 through October 31.
There are four canyons that have been designated "Tilefish Gear Restricted Areas." These areas are closed to vessels with bottom-tending mobile gear and are described in the tilefish regulations at 50 CFR 648.297. No vessel of the United States may fish with bottom-tending mobile gear (otter trawls, beam trawls, hydraulic dredges, non-hydraulic dredges, and seines) within the restricted areas; which include Lydonia, Norfolk, Oceanographer, and Veatch Canyons.
Specifications/Quotas
The Golden and Blueline Tilefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) requires the annual specification of catch and harvest limits for up to three years at a time. If specifications are not in place at the start of the fishing year, the existing specifications roll over until new regulations are finalized.
Current Golden Tilefish Specifications (November 1, 2019-October 31, 2020)
Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 2.291 million lb |
---|---|
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 1.636 million lb |
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 1.636 million lb |
Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Annual Catch Target (ACT) |
1.554 million lb |
Incidental ACT | 0.082 million lb |
IFQ Total Allowable Landings (TAL) | 1.554 million lb |
Incidental TAL | 0.072 million lb |
Accountability Measures (AM)
If the ACL is exceeded, the amount of the ACL overage that cannot be directly attributed to IFQ allocation holders having exceeded their IFQ allocation will be deducted from the ACL in the following fishing year. All overages directly attributable to IFQ allocation holders will be deducted from the appropriate IFQ allocation(s) in the following fishing year.
Regulatory History
- 1998 - NOAA Fisheries Service declares golden tilefish overfished.
- 2001 - Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council implements the Golden Tilefish Fishery Management Plan; includes system for dividing total allowable landings among three fishing categories and establishes limited entry for the commercial fishery.
- 2001 - Framework Adjustment 1 implemented quota set aside for the purpose of conducting research.
- 2007 - Amendment 2 implemented to standardize bycatch reporting methodology.
- 2009 - Amendment 1 implements an IFQ program for the commercial fishery, establishes new reporting requirements, addresses recreational fishing issues, and establishes a ban on the use of bottom-tending mobile gear (including the otter trawls) within four deep-water canyons.
- 2011 - Amendment 3 an omnibus amendment, specified mechanisms to set acceptable biological catch, annual catch limits, and accountability measures for numerous Mid-Atlantic fisheries.
- 2015 - Amendment 4 implemented Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology.
- 2017 - Amendment 5 implemented management measures to prevent the development of new, and the expansion of existing, commercial fisheries on certain forage species in the Mid-Atlantic.
- 2017 – Framework 3 implemented a requirement for vessels that hold party/charter permits for Mid-Atlantic Council-managed species to submit vessel trip reports electronically (eVTRs) while on a trip carrying passengers for hire.
- 2017 - Amendment 6 (Blueline Tilefish Amendment) added blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps) as a managed species in the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan; and changing the name of the plan to the Golden and Blueline Tilefish Fishery Management Plan.
- 2018 – Framework 2 implemented several changes intended to improve and simplify the administration of the golden tilefish fishery. These changes include removing an outdated reporting requirement, proscribing allowed gear for the recreational fishery, modifying the commercial incidental possession limit, requiring commercial golden tilefish be landed with the head and fins attached, and revising how assumed discards are accounted for when setting harvest limits.
- 2018 - Framework 4, an omnibus framework, modified the Mid-Atlantic Council's process for setting catch limits.
Science Overview
The most recent stock assessment for golden tilefish was in 2014, where the stock was declared not overfished and overfishing was not occurring. The next assessment for golden tilefish is scheduled for 2021.
Research, Surveys, & Data
Golden Tilefish Stock Status Based on Most Recent (2014) Stock Assessment
Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) | 5,229 mt (2012) |
---|---|
SSBThreshold | 2,577 mt |
Overfished Definition | The stock is overfished when SSB < ½ SSB25% |
Overfished? | No |
Fishing Mortality Rate (F) | 0.275 (2012) |
FThreshold | 0.37 |
Overfishing Definition | Overfishing occurs when F > F25% |
Overfishing? | No |
Current Rebuilding Program? | No. As of the most recent 2014 assessment, this stock is considered rebuilt |
Next Stock Assessment | Benchmark assessment scheduled for 2021 |