March 5, 2013 — NOAA Fisheries announces changes to the butterfish mortality cap in the longfin squid fishery, from a catch (landings and discards) cap to a discard only cap, as a result of its approval of Framework Adjustment 7 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.
This action also reduces the butterfish mortality cap for the 2013 fishing year by 13 percent (from 4,477 mt to 3,884 mt) to exclude butterfish landings that were previously included in the butterfish mortality cap. The adjustment was needed to accommodate a new directed butterfish fishery, while continuing to limit butterfish discards in the longfin squid fishery.
Read the full announcement here