NOAA Fisheries has closed the U.S. Atlantic mackerel fishery for the rest of 2024 after determining that 100 percent of the allowable annual harvest has already been caught.
The closure comes amid concern over the sustainability of the Atlantic mackerel stock, which is listed as overfished by NOAA Fisheries and has been managed under a rebuilding program since November 2019.
The program originally aimed to restore the stock to the target population level in 2024, but it was revised in 2023 after a Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council assessment that year showed an unexpected failure of the Atlantic mackerel stock to rebuild. The council responded by setting an 868-metric-ton (MT) annual commercial harvest quota for 2024 and 2025 – a 76 percent decrease from the original 2023 commercial quota.
Federal regulations require the fishery be closed after 80 percent of the domestic annual harvest is caught; however, NOAA Fisheries said lagging data prevented the agency from recognizing that 100 percent of the 868 MT harvest had been caught until 29 November. The fishery was closed on 6 December without public comment, with NOAA Fisheries arguing that allowing the fishery to continue through public comment would harm the fishery.
In an April 2024 fishery performance report, NOAA advisory panel members noted that mackerel supply could become an issue for the U.S. market.
“Mackerel demand has been strong for years; markets have not been a limiting factor,” the report noted. “Persistent inability to supply product will eventually lead to market problems for the U.S. industry.”
The 2025 Atlantic mackerel season will open 1 January.
