UNIT 1: NORTHEAST DEMERSAL FISHERIES

INTRODUCTION

	Northeast demersal (groundfish) fisheries include about 35 species
and/or stocks, primarily in New England waters, but also off the
Mid-Atlantic states. In New England, the groundfish complex is
dominated by members of the cod family (cod, haddock, hakes,
pollock), flounders, dogfish sharks, and skates. Mid-Atlantic
groundfish fisheries land primarily summer flounder, scup,
goosefish, and black sea bass.
	Northeast groundfish fishermen utilize such fishing gears as otter
trawls, gill nets, traps, and set lines. Otter trawling is the
predominant fishing method for groundfish throughout the region
(there were 1,056 otter trawl vessels in the fleet in 1992); gill
nets contribute a substantial proportion of the landings in the
Gulf of Maine (258 vessels fished gill nets in 1992). Many of the
vessels participating in the groundfish fisheries switch gears on
a seasonal basis. Recent average U.S. landings of mixed groundfish
in the northeast region were 170,000 t. If Canadian and
recreational landings of these stocks are included, 1992 groundfish
landings were still less than half of their estimated long-term
potential (Table 1-1).
	Groundfish resources off the northeast occur in mixed-species
aggregations, resulting in significant bycatch interactions among
fisheries directed to particular target species or species groups.
Management is very complex because of these interactions. This
complexity is reflected, for example, in the use of differing mesh,
gear, minimum landing sizes, and seasonal closure regulations, set
by such groups as the New England and Mid-Atlantic FMC's, the
states, ASMFC, and by the Canadian Government, because of the
transboundary nature of some stocks. New England groundfish are
managed primarily under the Northeast Multispecies FMP (13
species), as well as peripherally under provisions of the ASMFC
Northern Shrimp Management Plan. Mid-Atlantic groundfish are
managed under the Summer Flounder FMP. Management of the demersal
fisheries in New England is by indirect methods including mesh
sizes, minimum fish lengths, and some area closures. There are
currently no direct controls on New England groundfish fishing
mortality rates through catch quotas or effort regulations. The
Summer Flounder FMP includes provisions for catch quota targets
aimed at restoring this depleted stock.
	Extensive historical data for the northeast demersal fisheries have
been derived from both fishery-dependent (i.e. catch and effort
monitoring) and fishery-independent (NOAA research vessel) sampling
programs. Since 1989, a sea sampling program has been conducted in
the region aboard commercial vessels, in order to document discard
rates and to collect high quality, high resolution data on catch by
area and effort by gear set. Some of the northeast demersal stocks
(cod, yellowtail flounder, haddock, American plaice, pollock) are
among the best understood and assessed fishery resources in the
country.

SPECIES AND STATUS

Principal Groundfish and Flounders

	The principal groundfish and flounders group includes important
cod-family species (Atlantic cod, haddock, silver and red hake,
pollock), flounders (yellowtail, summer, winter, witch, windowpane,
and American plaice) and redfish (Fig. 1-1). Recent annual landings
of these 12 species (19 stocks) by commercial fishermen have
averaged 161,000 t, as compared with LTPY's of nearly 400,000 t
(Table 1-1). Total ex-vessel revenue from principal groundfish and
flounder commercial landings in 1992 was $161 million. The
northeast groundfish complex supports important recreational
fisheries for species including summer flounder, winter flounder,
and Atlantic cod.
	The abundance index for this group declined by almost 70% between
1963 and 1974, reflecting substantial increases in exploitation
associated with the advent of distant-water fleets (Fig. 1-1). Many
stocks in this group declined sharply, notably Georges Bank
haddock, most silver and red hake stocks, and most flatfish stocks.
By 1974, indices of abundance for many of these species had dropped
to the lowest ever recorded.
	Groundfish partially recovered during the mid-to-late 1970's
because of reduced fishing effort associated with increasingly
restrictive management under the International Commission for the
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (ICNAF) during the early 1970's, and
implementation of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (MFCMA) in 1977. Cod and haddock abundance increased markedly;
stock biomass of pollock increased more-or-less continually, and
recruitment and abundance also increased for several flatfish
stocks. The aggregate index peaked in 1978. Subsequently, the
combined index again declined, reaching new lows in 1987 and 1988.
	The 1989 and 1990 abundance values were slightly higher than the
previous two years, primarily due to recruitment of moderate 1987
year classes of Atlantic cod and yellowtail flounder. However, the
abundance indices in 1991 and 1992 again declined due in large part
to the rapid depletion of the 1987 yellowtail flounder year class
and declining cod abundance. The 1992 index of groundfish abundance
was a time series (30-year) low. Landings of these species in 1993
are predicted to decline substantially, in the face of generally
poor recruitment. Landings of cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder
are currently at the lowest level since the 1950's, when demand for
fish and total fishing effort were low. Fishing effort directed to
the groundfish complex increased from 1991 levels despite
substantial declines in CPUE.

Skates and Dogfish Sharks

	Dogfish and skates are a significant and growing part of the
aggregate groundfish stock biomass in the Northeast (Fig. 1-2). Of
the two dogfishes (spiny and smooth), the spiny dogfish is dominant
by far. Seven species of skates, including little, winter,
barndoor, brier, thorny, leopard, and smooth-tailed occur on the
northeast shelf. Winter, little, and thorny skates produce most of
the landings. 
	Skate and spiny dogfish landings have generally increased in recent
years. Total landings of small elasmobranchs in 1992 were about
25,000 t, up slightly from 1991. These landings levels are well
below the long-term potential landings for these stocks and their
current potential yields. The stocks of skates and dogfish
increased throughout the 1970's and 1980's (Fig. 1-2). Survey
catches of both dogfish and skates since 1986 have been the highest
observed in the time series. Increases in dogfish and skate
abundance, in conjunction with declining abundance of groundfish
and flounders, have resulted in the proportion of dogfish and
skates in Georges Bank survey indices increasing from roughly 25%
by weight in 1963 to nearly 75% in recent years.

Other Finfish

	Other groundfish species taken primarily as bycatch in the Gulf of
Maine include goosefish, white hake, cusk, wolffish, and Atlantic
halibut. In Southern New England, goosefish and ocean pout are
important groundfish stocks, and in the Middle Atlantic, scup,
weakfish, black sea bass, spot, tilefish, and several others are
landed either in directed fisheries or as bycatch. As a group, they
are generally characterized as over-exploited, with current
landings generally well below long-term maxima (Table 1-1). Most of
these stocks are managed implicitly with other species included in
various FMP's. For example, white hake, goosefish, cusk, wolffish,
and halibut are taken in various groundfish fisheries regulated
under the Northeast Multispecies FMP. Similarly, scup and black sea
bass represent major components of the summer flounder directed
fishery, and these stocks are likely to be included in future
amendments to the Summer Flounder FMP. ASMFC has developed an FMP
for weakfish, and several other stocks are slated for inclusion in
future FMP's. The advent of directed fishing for goosefish at the
edge of the continental shelf in the Middle Atlantic and Southern
New England areas has prompted interest in developing regulations
for the fishery, primarily because very small animals are currently
landed from that fishery and as bycatch from sea scallop dredge
fishing.

ISSUES

Management Concerns

	New England groundfish resources are currently regulated by
indirect controls on fishing mortality, including mesh and minimum
fish size restrictions and some area closures. In the face of
persistent overfishing of the resource, the Conservation Law
Foundation (CLF) and the Massachusetts Audubon Society filed
litigation aimed at removing the overfished conditions. A consent
decree was entered into between NMFS and CLF, stipulating that
measures be developed that would eliminate the overfished condition
of cod and yellowtail in 5 years and haddock in 10 years. The
current version of Amendment #5 to the New England Multispecies FMP
calls for an effort reduction program to be initiated in 1994 to
address these requirements. The regulatory package includes a
moratorium on new vessel entrants, a schedule of reductions in
days-at-sea for trawl and gill net vessels, increases in regulated
mesh size, and expanded closure areas to protect haddock. The
objective of the plan is to gradually eliminate the overfished
condition of cod, yellowtail flounder, and haddock over 5-7 years.
	In contrast, the Summer Flounder Plan has instituted a strategy to
cut fishing mortality in 1993 by 50% from 1992 levels, and
eventually to achieve Fmax, the longer-term management target
levels. The Summer Flounder FMP uses catch quotas, allocated by
state and season, to achieve the management goals. Recent increased
recruitment levels, combined with lower fishing mortality rates in
1993, will reverse the trend of declining biomass, and result in
stabilized or increasing landings in the next few years. 

Transboundary Stocks and Jurisdiction

	Significant catches are taken from transboundary stocks of Atlantic
cod, haddock, and pollock from Canadian waters. In 1992, 41% of
Georges Bank cod, 67% of Georges Bank haddock, and 78% of Northwest
Atlantic pollock landings were taken by Canada. Management
regulations employed by the two countries are fundamentally
different: Canada seeks to achieve target fishing mortality rates
through catch quota regulation. Although there is stock assessment
coordination among the countries, there is no formal mechanism for
joint management. The lack of coordinated management efforts has
contributed to the severe overfishing of these shared resources.

Economics

	Reducing overfishing, as defined by the Multispecies FMP and the
Summer Flounder FMP, will require significant effort reductions.
Rebuilt stocks will eventually provide increased net benefits to
pro-ducers and consumers, but in the short term, effort reductions
will decrease revenues to fishermen and increase prices to
consumers. Bioeconomic analyses of proposed regulations for the
Northeast Multispecies FMP indicate reductions in aggregate
producer surplus for about five years, followed by substantial
gains, as compared with a no-action alternative. Even with an
eventual 50% reduction in days-at-sea by the fleet, short-term
declines in revenues are only modest, due to price compensation.
Consumer surplus declines during the initial stages of the stock
rebuilding plan but eventually exceeds the status quo alternative
in about 7 years. Net benefits to the nation of the proposed effort
reductions for northeast groundfish resources are both positive and
substantial.  

Progress

	Considerable progress in the development of management alternatives
for the northeast demersal resources was made during 1992. Measures
to take effect in 1994 will include days-at-sea reductions,
increased minimum mesh sizes, a moratorium on new vessels, expanded
closed areas, and trip limits for depleted haddock stocks. An
annual review provision will allow the extent of the effort
reduction measures to be changed, depending on the actual levels of
fishing mortality as compared with plan targets. Mandatory
reporting systems for northeast resources are being developed to
track the performance of the fishery better. Revised stock
assessments for principal stocks such as cod, pollock, and American
plaice have documented patterns of fishing mortality, discarding,
and recruitment, and form the basis for proposed regulatory
measures. 
	Management of the summer flounder stock has proceeded with a
short-term goal of cutting fishing mortality by 50% from 1992 to
1993 and eventually achieving Fmax. A series of state-by-state
allocations of the annual quota has been the primary regulatory
measure. Fishing mortality goals for 1993 are likely to be
achieved. Given improved recruitment, coupled with reduced fishing
mortality, catch rates for the commercial and recreational sectors
have improved in 1993. Lower fishing mortality rates and slightly
improved recruitment will result in increased landings and a
rebuilding of the spawning stock biomass and its age structure
(currently comprised primarily of ages 0-2).