Final Rule to Implement 2024 Monkfish Fishing Year Quotas
Summary
NOAA Fisheries is implementing monkfish quotas for the 2024 fishing year based on specifications approved by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. There were no overages in 2022 and there is no new information that would require changes to the 2024 quotas previously announced in August 2023 in Framework Adjustment 13 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. As a result, this action finalizes these 2024 quotas. The quotas are the same as the 2023 quotas and are in place from May 1, 2024 until April 30, 2025.
Table 1 -- Monkfish Specifications for Fishing Year 2024 (in metric tons)
|
Catch Limits |
Northern Area |
Southern Area |
|
Acceptable Biological Catch |
6,224 |
5,861 |
|
Annual Catch Limit |
6,224 |
5,861 |
|
Management Uncertainty (3 percent) |
187 |
176 |
|
Annual Catch Target (Total Allowable Landings + discards) |
6,038 |
5,685 |
|
Expected Discards |
729 |
2,205 |
|
Total Allowable Landings |
5,309 |
3,481 |