The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met October 7-9, 2025, in Philadelphia, PA. The following is a summary of actions taken and issues considered during the meeting and issued as an official Council bulletin.
Council staff provided an overview of ongoing improvements to the survey methods used to create recreational fishing catch estimates. In particular, NOAA Fisheries is preparing to transition to a modified Fishing Effort mail-based Survey (the “FES”). Based on 2024 side-by-side surveys, NOAA Fisheries’ analyses suggest the modified survey results in approximately 10%-20% lower effort estimates, which would translate into similar reductions in catch estimates.
Catch reductions will vary by species, with relatively bigger reductions for species caught primarily in private boat fishing vs shore fishing, and relatively bigger reductions for species that are caught primarily in off-peak activity months. For most species, it appears the scale of downward changes will be less than the upward changes that occurred with the original FES implementation in 2018.
Older estimates will have to be calibrated (lowered) to match the new methods, and then the new time series can be incorporated into assessments as they occur (and then into management). Lowering the catch history going into an assessment often results in lower projected future yields, so the overall impact on recreational management measures (seasons, size limits, possession limits) is not yet clear. NOAA Fisheries and management partners are developing a transition plan that would provide a framework for considering related issues, including assessment prioritization and the need for potential re-consideration of allocations that were based upon historic estimates.
Staff also provided updates on MRIP’s efforts to improve engagement with partners and constituents, from long-term goals to enhanced review of preliminary estimates. Staff also reviewed upcoming research efforts in the Gulf of America focused on cutting-edge recreational data collection methods, including video, satellite, aerial survey, and mobile data.
Presentations, briefing materials, motions, and webinar recordings are available on the Council’s October 2025 meeting page. A PDF version of the meeting report is available here.
