Amendment 23 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (also known as the Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding 2.0 Amendment) implements a revised Atlantic mackerel rebuilding plan to have the stock rebuilt by 2032. The Council had previously developed a 5-year rebuilding plan for the stock, which was implemented in 2019, but in 2021 the Atlantic mackerel management track assessment determined that the Atlantic mackerel stock was still overfished and overfishing was still occurring. That assessment also noted that under the original rebuilding plan, the stock was expected to be less than half rebuilt by 2023 (the terminus year of that rebuilding plan). In addition to the revised Atlantic mackerel rebuilding plan, this amendment implements the 2023 Atlantic mackerel specifications.
Contact: Jason Didden, (302) 526-5254, jdidden@mafmc.org.
Amendment Status
The Council selected preferred alternatives and approved the amendment for submission to the Secretary of Commerce at the June 2022 Council Meeting. NOAA Fisheries published a proposed rule and request for comments in November 2022. A final rule was published and implemented on February 1, 2023.
Press Release: Mid-Atlantic Council Approves Revised Stock Rebuilding Plan for Atlantic Mackerel (6/14/22)
NOAA Fisheries Rulemaking: Proposed Rule (11/2/22), Final Rule (2/1/23)
Amendment Development Timeline
August 2021 Council Meeting: The Council met for the first framework meeting to review the management track assessment results and develop an initial range of revised rebuilding alternatives.
December 2021 Council Meeting: The Council decided to proceed with an Amendment to conclude the rebuilding plan revisions.
January 2022: Two informational webinars were held on January 11 and 12 to provide background on the assessment and likely management measures, as well as gather additional pubic input.
April/May 2022: The Council held five public hearings and collected written comments on the draft amendment.
June 2022: The Council reviewed public comments, selected preferred alternatives, and approved the amendment for submission to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and implementation. See the press release for details.
November 2, 2022: NOAA Fisheries published a proposed rule on the proposed rule for the new rebuilding plan.
January 24, 2023: NOAA Fisheries published a final rule.
Documents
Background/Amendment Development:
Public Hearings (April 2022):
Final Action (June 2022)
Amendment Submission and Rulemaking
Background Documents
Atlantic Mackerel Stock Assessment (SAW 64) - “Benchmark Assessment” (Similar to current Research Track Assessments)