South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

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News Releases

East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Release Suite of Potential Actions to Help Managers Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries

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Over the past two years, marine fishery management organizations along the U.S. East Coast have been exploring governance and management issues related to climate change and fishery stock distributions. This effort recognizes the profound impact that climate change is having on our ocean ecosystems and coastlines and the need to plan for how fishery management organizations and coastal communities can best adapt to these changes in a thoughtful and deliberate way.  

The South Atlantic Bite

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The Council will hold a series of public hearings via webinar next week for proposed measures affecting reporting requirements for federally-permitted commercial fishermen. The Comprehensive Amendment Addressing Electronic Reporting for Commercial Vessels is being developed collaboratively with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.

The South Atlantic Bite

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The Council’s Seminar Series continues in July with a presentation from Gulf of Maine Research Institute staff entitled “Simulated larval dispersal of snapper-grouper species to evaluate the efficacy of spawning Special Management Zones”. The presentation involves five Spawning Special Management Zones (SMZs) designated off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Federal Fishery Managers Move Forward with Measures for Atlantic Spanish Mackerel

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The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is considering modifying catch levels for Atlantic Spanish Mackerel following the latest stock assessment indicating the stock is neither overfished nor undergoing overfishing. The decision was made as Council members convened this week in St. Augustine, Florida to address a wide variety of federal fishery management issues.

The South Atlantic Bite

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NOAA Fisheries recently announced the final rule for Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagics (mackerels).

The South Atlantic Bite

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Planning for your next trip offshore this spring? Beginning May 1st there are a few more species available to harvest in South Atlantic federal waters (greater than 3 nautical miles off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida).  

The South Atlantic Bite

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Members of South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Socio-Economic Panel (SEP) will come together in Charleston, South Carolina April 17-20, 2023 to discuss a broad range of topics relevant to federal fisheries. The members include biologists, stock assessment scientists, economists, social scientists, and natural resource specialists from academic institutions, and state and federal marine resource agencies.

The South Atlantic Bite

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Federal fisheries management is complex. Effective management involves input from persons directly involved in the fisheries. Congress recognized this back in 1976 when it passed legislation establishing eight regional fishery management councils in the United States (the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act) and required the councils to have advisory panels. These advisory panels include private recreational, charter/for-hire, commercial fishermen, researchers, and others directly involved in and knowledgeable about fisheries. AP members provide information and recommendations at the grassroots level to better inform the federal fishery management process.

Council Approves Management Measures for Red Snapper, Gag, and Black Grouper During March Meeting

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Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved measures to reduce the annual catch limit for Red Snapper and help address release mortality for Red Snapper and other species managed as part of the snapper grouper complex. Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 35 would reduce the total Annual Catch Limit from 42,510 fish to 28,000 fish once implemented.