Atlantic
croaker, Micropogonias undulates, occur in coastal waters
from the Gulf of Maine to Argentina, and are one of the most abundant
inshore bottom dwelling fish along the U.S. Atlantic coast. They
are sought by recreational anglers and commercial fishermen alike.
Over the past 20 years, the recreational catch from New Jersey
through Florida has risen from about two million pounds to a high
of more than 11 million pounds in 2001. The commercial landings
of croaker are cyclical—some years the catch is almost 30
million pounds, while some years it is less than two million pounds.
Since 1996, the croaker fishery has been at the high end of a
cycle, with annual commercial landings remaining above 20 million
pounds.
Fluctuations in the
landings are related to croaker’s annual recruitment, which
appears to be highly variable and dependent on natural environmental
conditions. The most recent stock assessment, peer-reviewed in
2003/2004, indicates that Atlantic croaker abundance is high and
fishing mortality is low in the Mid-Atlantic region (North Carolina
and north). The assessment’s estimates of spawning stock
biomass and fishing mortality are within the targets and thresholds
established for croaker. The stock status for the South Atlantic
region (South Carolina through the east coast of Florida) is unknown,
due to a lack of data.
The Commission
approved Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan
for Atlantic Croaker in November 2005. The Amendment revised the
plan’s management goals and objectives, established biological
reference points to manage the resource, and initiated the development
of management measures on a regional basis (Mid-Atlantic and South
Atlantic component). <species
profile><stock
status> <commercial
and recreational landings> <state
regulations> <habitat
fact sheet>
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