42 MAFMC ABC/ACL and Catch

Description: The catch limit (either ABC or ACL) and total catch from 2012 - present for all MAFMC species and sector (commercial or recreational), if appropriate.

Found in: State of the Ecosystem - Mid-Atlantic (2022)

Indicator category: Synthesis of published information, Database pull

Contributor(s): Jessica Coakley, Kiley Dancy, Jose Montanez, Julia Beaty, Karson Coutre, Jason Didden

Data steward: Brandon Muffley

Point of contact: Brandon Muffley

Public availability statement: Source data are publicly available

42.1 Methods

42.1.1 Data Sources

These data were compiled from MAFMC Fishery Information Documents, Stock Assessment reports, SSC reports, GARFO catch/landings database, and MRIP queries.

42.1.2 Data Analysis

Each stock has a threshold and catch value assigned to it from the sources above. The table below shows where the information comes from for each stock.

Stock Fishery Catch Threshold
Ocean Quahog Commercial ABC
Surfclam Commercial ABC
Summer Flounder Recreational ABC
Summer Flounder Commercial ABC
Scup Recreational ABC
Scup Commercial ABC
Atlantic Mackerel Recreational ABC
Atlantic Mackerel Commercial ABC
Black Sea Bass Recreational ABC
Black Sea Bass Commercial ABC
Butterfish Commercial ABC
Longfin Squid Commercial ABC
Illex Squid Commercial ABC
Golden Tilefish Commercial TAL
Blueline Tilefish Recreational ABC
Blueline Tilefish Commercial ABC
Bluefish Both ABC
Spiny Dogfish Both ABC
Chub Mackerel Both ACL

Allowable Biological Catch (ABC) for each managed stock is set by the MAFMC Science and Statistical Committee(SSC), Annual Catch Limit (ACL) (if appropriate) is developed by the Council; recreational data come from MRIP (Marine Recreational Information Program), commercial catch from either the NEFSC assessment lead or GARFO database.

Each species, depending upon data availability, sectors, fleets etc., goes through a different data processing process.

42.1.3 Data Processing

Data were formatted for inclusion in the ecodata R package using the R code found here.

catalog link https://noaa-edab.github.io/catalog/abc_acl.html