Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish
Overview
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council manages five species within the Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish (MSB) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The management unit includes all U.S. waters off the U.S. East Coast. These species’ distribution and productivity are likely variable and highly dependent on environmental variables. Quotas are set based on the current science and Council’s risk policy to avoid overfishing and rebuild stocks if/when necessary. Ecosystem considerations have become a prominent issue for these fisheries (see the Council's Ecosystem Plan page for more details).
Staff Contacts
Atlantic Mackerel, Illex and Longfin Squid, Butterfish: Jason Didden, (302) 526- 5254
Chub Mackerel: Julia Beaty, (302) 526-5250
Related Pages
Regulations
Additional information about the management and status of these fisheries, including current quotas and regulations, is available on the NOAA Fisheries species profile pages:
Additional Resources
Species
Atlantic Mackerel
Scomber scrombus
Chub Mackerel
Scomber colias
Longfin Squid
Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii
Illex (shortfin) Squid
Illex illecebrosus
Butterfish
Peprilus triacanthus
Actions Under Development
The section below lists any FMP frameworks or amendments currently under development. See the current year's Implementation Plan for details on upcoming specifications and other actions that may affect this FMP.
Fishery Performance Reports and Information Documents
Fishery Performance Reports (FPRs) are developed every year by each fishery's advisory panel to provide the Council and SSC with a description of the factors that influenced fishing effort and catch within each of the Council’s fisheries. Fishery Information Documents (FIDs) are annual summaries of the most recent catch, landings, and effort data. Older FPRs and FIDs are available here.