Spanish
mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus, support significant
recreational and commercial fisheries in South Atlantic waters
and is gaining importance in the Mid-Atlantic. Many anglers target
and catch Spanish mackerel to use whole fish as bait for big game
fishing. Recreational harvest has averaged 1.6 million pounds
annually, with anglers in Florida and North Carolina taking the
majority of fish. The commercial fishery has averaged 3.1 million
pounds over the last ten years, although it peaked at over 11
million pounds in 1977.
Spanish mackerel
is one of several species that the Commission manages cooperatively
with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Since adoption
of the Fishery Management Plan in 1990, Southern and Mid-Atlantic
states have responded to the plan’s recommendations through
implementation of bag limits, size limits, commercial trip limits,
and /or provisions for seasonal closures to complement the Council’s
measures for federal waters.
Implementation
of these measures has rebuilt the fishery from a level that was
once in decline. Estimated stock abundance has increased since
1995 and is now at a high for the analysis period. Currently the
stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. <species
profile> <stock
status> <commercial
and recreational landings> <state
regulations> <habitat
fact sheet>
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