NEW RECREATIONAL MACKEREL RESTRICTIONS

NEW RECREATIONAL MACKEREL RESTRICTIONS POSSIBLE

The most recent assessment of the Atlantic mackerel stock indicates that serious cutbacks in catches will likely be required, but there are a lot of questions that fishermen want answered before any restrictions take place.

In June of 2021, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released what they now call a “Management Track Survey” of Atlantic mackerel along the East Coast of the U.S. The survey was designed to create a snapshot of the size and health of the current mackerel stock, and show trends over the past few years.

Unfortunately, according to the survey, the news is not good. The stock has apparently been overfished for the past eight years. Although the mackerel stock tripled between 2014 and 2019, it is said to be only 24% of the target biomass of some 180,000 metric tons.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), which is responsible for Atlantic mackerel management throughout the species’ range, is tasked with creating a rebuilding plan.

The MAFMC, held two informational public webinars in January to explain the problem and to solicit input from fishermen and others. According to MAFAC, a 70% reduction in commercial landings and a staggering 50% reduction in recreational landings will be needed in order to rebuild the mackerel stock within 10 years.

Fishermen Blindsided

Needless to say, fishermen from Massachusetts through Maine were blindsided by the news. Over 150 tuna, striper, and mackerel fishermen, as well as members of the party and charter fleet, participated in the webinars. Their main issue was that the survey results do not match what is being seen out on the water. There were plenty of mackerel along the New England coast in 2021 (and especially here in Maine), and there have been for the past few years, so everyone was mystified as to how the survey could indicate there was a serious problem.

The MAFMC staffer who conducted the webinar agreed that there were plenty of mackerel right along the coast, but explained that in offshore areas the survey ships did not encounter very many mackerel where they had found them during previous surveys, nor did they find the amount of eggs and larvae they had in the past.

Flawed Survey Methods?

That triggered a lot of speculation that perhaps the offshore mackerel stock may have moved north or east due to the warming of Gulf of Maine waters over the past few years, as has happened with other species. Some fishermen questioned the timing of the survey samplings, saying that if they had been performed during other months the results may have been different. questionable, and that the data appeared flawed given the amounts of mackerel that have been observed on the water.

The new management plan process will take some time, but if MAFMC’s plan ultimately calls for a 50% reduction in recreationally-caught mackerel – and the plan is ultimately approved and implemented by NMFS -- recreational mackerel fishermen along the New England coast may be faced with a two- or threemonth “mackerel season,” say May and/or June and July. After that, possession of mackerel would be prohibited. And that would mean no use of mackerel as bait for stripers and tuna.

Other Restrictions Considered

A bag limit is also possible, but there is so little data on how many mackerel people normally catch in a day that establishing a 50% reduction may be next to impossible. Finally, the survey found that there were fewer large mackerel in the stock makeup than there should be, so perhaps a minimum size might be a possibility. However, MAFAC has assumed a 100% release mortality for recreationally caught mackerel, meaning that every mackerel caught and released theoretically ends up dying. This assumption defies logic as well as most fishermen’s observations. But if it’s believed to be true, how would releasing loads of undersized mackerel in order to retain a big “keeper” help rebuild the stock if all the small ones die? So, a minimum size probably wouldn’t help.

Right now there are far more questions than answers about the survey and the upcoming management plan. It appears that any new regulations won’t be implemented until January of 2023, but that will come up fast. I plan to continue to participate in the management process as the New England Regional Director for the Recreational Fishing Alliance and as a Maine charter captain for the past 51 years, and will provide updates in Making Waves as things move forward. --Capt. Barry Gibson, New England Regional Director, RFA