NMFS Designates Bullet and Frigate Mackerel as Ecosystem Component Species
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) approved Amendment 12 to the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which adds bullet and frigate mackerel as ecosystem component (EC) species. EC species do not warrant current management on their own, but the designation helps achieve FMP objectives by increasing awareness of their importance to pelagic predators. Bullet and frigate mackerel are important prey species for pelagic dolphin and wahoo, with mackerel being wahoo’s dominant forage species. Mackerel are also important components of tuna and marlin diets. More Amendment 12 information is available on the Federal Registrar website. The
Changes in Mahi-Mahi allocation coming up in the Atlantic?
Fly Navarro and Adrienne Katz with a nice mahi-mahi
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) is considering management options to Amendment 10 on the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan. The Amendment offers an important opportunity to modify management strategy for mahi mahi that would better insure healthy population levels intothe future. Central to protecting mahi mahi is restriction of pelagic longlinegear by not authorizing the fishery an allocation. Overfishing mahi-mahi stocks are a genuine concern if
