Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of America and Atlantic Region; Framework Amendment 14
Key claim: NMFS proposes to revise the Gulf Spanish mackerel annual catch limit using the latest stock assessment and replace the in-season closure accountability measure with a post-season AM to achieve optimum yield.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Framework Amendment 14 under the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources in the Gulf and Atlantic Region, as prepared by the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (Councils). If implemented, this proposed rule would modify the annual catch limit (ACL) for the Gulf migratory group of Spanish mackerel (Spanish mackerel) in the Gulf of America (Gulf) based on the results of the most recent stock assessment. Additionally, this proposed rule would modify the current accountability measure (AM) for Gulf Spanish mackerel from an in-season closure AM to a post-season AM. The purpose of these regulatory changes is to ensure the stock ACL and AM are based on the best scientific information available and to achieve optimum yield (OY).
Why this matters
Switching from an in-season closure to a post-season accountability measure changes how quota overages are handled: commercial and recreational fishermen face fewer abrupt mid-season shutdowns, but any overharvest is deducted from the following year’s limit. For consumers and seafood markets, this typically means steadier in-season supply of Gulf Spanish mackerel, while the updated ACL from the latest stock assessment sets the overall harvest ceiling shaping longer-term availability and prices.