Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan

NMFS approves and implements through regulations measures included in Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan, as adopted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. This action is necessary to establish conservation and management measures for Atlantic chub mackerel. It is intended to promote the sustainable utilization and conservation of Atlantic chub mackerel by integrating this species as a stock in the fishery under the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. This amendment identifies goals and objectives for managing Atlantic chub mackerel; specifies status determination criteria; designates essential fish habitat; establishes a specifications process; sets annual catch limits for 2020-2022; and implements accountability measures, possession limits, permitting and reporting requirements, exempted fisheries, and other administrative measures for Atlantic chub mackerel caught from Maine through North Carolina.