Friday, February 4, 2011

King Mackerel Trip Limit to Remain at 50 Fish per Day

Information from Southeast Fishery Bulletin FB11-008:
The daily vessel trip limit will remain at 50 fish for commercial hook-and-line vessels fishing for Gulf group king mackerel in federal waters of the Florida east coast subzone: area north of a line directly east from the Miami-Dade/Monroe County, FL boundary to a line directly east from the Volusia/Flagler County, FL, boundary. Based on landings data, NOAA Fisheries Service determined that more than 75% (or 780,469 pounds) of the 1,040,625-pound quota has been harvested for this fishery segment before February 1, 2011. If 75% of the quota had not been harvested, the trip limit would have increased to 75 fish. The 50-fish daily trip limit will remain in effect until March 31, 2011, unless the subzone's quota is reached. If the 1,040,625-pound quota is harvested during February or March 2011, the subzone will be closed and the daily trip limit will be reduced to zero kind mackerel until the 2010/2011 season ends on March 31, 2011. Under the Florida Administrative Code established by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the daily trip limit for kind mackerel harvested in state waters off the east coast of Florida also will remain at 50 fish.