Key Message:
- The daily vessel trip limit will remain at 50 fish per day for commercial hook-and-line vessels fishing for Gulf group king mackerel in federal waters of the Florida east coast subzone.
- The 50-fish daily trip limit will remain in effect until March 31, 2017, unless the subzone’s quota is reached.
- If the 1,102,896-pound quota is harvested during February or March 2017, the subzone will be closed and the daily trip limit will be reduced to zero king mackerel until the 2016/2017 season ends on March 31, 2017.
- From November 1 through March 31, the Florida east coast subzone for Gulf group king mackerel is the area north of a line directly east from the Miami-Dade/Monroe County, Florida, boundary (25° 20.4' N. lat. ), and south of a line directly east from the Volusia/Flagler County, Florida, boundary (29° 25' N. lat. ). See map below.
Why The Trip Limit is Staying the Same:
By regulations, if 70 percent of the quota for this subzone has not been harvested by March 1, the trip limit increases to 75 fish. However, NOAA Fisheries determined that more than 70 percent (or 772,027 pounds) of the 1,102,896-pound quota has been harvested for this fishery segment as of February 21, 2017. Therefore, the trip limit will not increase.
**PLEASE NOTE: Under the Florida regulations, the daily trip limit for king mackerel harvested in state waters off the east coast of Florida will also remain at 50 fish per day.
NOAA Fisheries Southeast is pleased to announce the introduction of our Text Message Alert Program. The program will allow you to sign up to receive important fishery related alerts via text message. Text alerts you may receive include immediate fishery openings and closures, and any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly.
How to opt-in
Sign up for related alerts for one or more of the following groups. Standard message & data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time.
- Gulf of Mexico Recreational Fisheries: Text GULFRECFISH to 888777
- Gulf of Mexico Commercial Fisheries: Text GULFCOMMFISH to 888777
- South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries: Text SATLRECFISH to 888777
- South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries: Text SATLCOMMFISH to 888777
- Caribbean Fisheries: Text CARIBFISH to 888777
