South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

CMP Amendment 6

Amendment Summary

Established provisions for rebuilding overfished stocks of mackerels within specific periods and biennial assessments and adjustments.

Amendment documents

Implemented Regulations

  • Established provisions for rebuilding overfished stocks of mackerels within specific periods and biennial assessments and adjustments.
  • Set allocations for Gulf king mackerel at 68% and 32% recreational and commercial, respectively.
  • Established commercial vessel possession limits for Atlantic Spanish mackerel.
  • Set income requirements for king and Spanish mackerel permits, to be eligible for a permit the owner or operator much be able to show that at least 10 percent of his earned income was derived from commercial fishing.
  • Set the recreational fishing year as the calendar year for Spanish mackerel and Atlantic king mackerel, for the commercial sector the year is April 1 through March 31.
  • For Gulf king mackerel the fishing year for commercial in July 1 through June 30.
  • The minimum size limit for Spanish mackerel is 12 inches fork length, for king mackerel it is 20 inches fork length, for cobia it is 33 inches fork length.
  • Final approval
  • Implementation
  • Pre-scoping
  • Public hearing
  • Rule making
  • Scoping
  • Secretarial review