Northeast Skate Complex
Northeast Skate Complex
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Quick Facts
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About
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The Northeast skate complex fishery consists of seven species:
- Barndoor skate (Dipturis laevis)
- Clearnose skate (Raja eglanteria)
- Little skate (Leucoraja erinacea)
- Rosette skate (Leucoraja garmani)
- Smooth skate (Malacoraja senta)
- Thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata)
- Winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata)
The primary target species in the skate fishery are winter and little skates. Winter skates are harvested for their wings for human consumption and little skates are harvested as bait for lobster and other fisheries.
The Northeast skate complex fishery in the Greater Atlantic Region includes seven skate species and operates from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; from inshore to offshore waters on the edge of the continental shelf. Skate is mostly harvested incidentally in trawl and gillnet fisheries targeting groundfish, monkfish, and sometimes scallops. Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 648 subpart O.
The skate complex is distributed form near the tide line to depths exceeding 700 meters. Most of the bait fishery occurs in New England waters and is largely comprised of little skate. The directed bait fishery by Rhode Island vessels occurs primarily in federal waters from the Rhode Island/Connecticut/New York state waters boundary east to the waters south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket out to approximately 69° W.
Other ports that participate in the bait fishery to some extent include ports in southern Massachusetts, Long Island, and Connecticut. Vessels landing for the wing market either target skates on Georges Bank, the Great South Channel, or west of the Nantucket Lightship area in Southern New England.
Vessels landing for the wing market also target skates in the western Gulf of Maine, primarily using trawl gear. Vessels using gillnets often fish east of Cape Cod.
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 07/29/2024
Featured News
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Recreational Fishing Regulations
There are currently no recreational possession restrictions for skates caught in federal waters. Recreational anglers must still comply with minimum fish size regulations for all recreational fisheries in the region.
Recreational anglers will need to get a general recreational fishing license either through your state or through NOAA Fisheries to fish recreationally for marine species. Visit our permit office or recreational fishing pages for more information.
More Information
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 07/29/2024
Commercial Fishing Regulations
Prohibitions
Possession or landing of thorny skates is prohibited. Possession or landing of barndoor skates is prohibited in the bait fishery.
There is a skate identification guide available to help you identify each potential species of skate in the Northeast Skate Complex.
Possession and Size Requirements
2024 Wing Fishery Seasonal Possession Limits
Trip Type | Season | Trip Limit (lb) | |
---|---|---|---|
Skate Wings | Whole Skates | ||
Northeast (NE) Multispecies A, Scallop, or Monkfish Day-at-Sea (DAS) | 1: May 1 - Aug 31 | 4,000 | 9,080 |
2: Sept 1 - Apr 30 | 6,000 | 13,620 | |
NE Multispecies B DAS | All Year: May 1 - Apr 30 | 275 | 625 |
Non-DAS | All Year: May 1 - Apr 30 | 625 | 1,419 |
There are no size limits under the skate wing fishery.
2024 Bait Fishery Seasonal Possession Limits
Trip Type | Season | Trip Limit (lb) | |
---|---|---|---|
Skate Wings | Whole Skates | ||
Skate Bait LOA | All Year: May 1 - Apr 30 | 0 | 25,000 |
For more information about the Skate Bait Fishery and Letter of Authorization Program, please see our summary page.
The skate bait fishery has a maximum size of 23 inches.
Allowable forms
Vessels may possess and land skate wings, wings with the associated carcasses possessed separately, and/or whole skates. The weight of skate carcasses may not exceed 1.27 times the weight of skate wings, and vessels may not possess skate carcasses without retaining the associated wings. Any combination of landed skate products must adhere to the trip limits described above. The conversion factor from wing to whole weight is 2.27
2024 Skate Specifications
Overfishing Limit (OFL) | Undefined |
---|---|
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 32,155 mt |
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 32,155 mt |
Annual Catch Target (ACT) | 28,940 mt |
Total Allowable Landings (TAL) | 15,718 mt |
Wing TAL (66.5%) | 10,453 mt |
Bait TAL (33.5%) | 5,266 mt |
2024 Seasonal Quota Allocations
Fishery | Season | TAL (mt) |
---|---|---|
Wing | 1: May 1 - Aug 31 | 5,958 |
2: Sept 1 - Apr 30 | 4,495 | |
Bait | 1: May 1 - Jul 31 | 1,622 |
2: Aug 1 - Oct 31 | 1,954 | |
3: Nov 1 - Apr 30 | 1,690 |
Inseason Actions
If 85% of the skate wing season 1 quota (57 percent of the annual skate wing TAL) is projected to be landed between May 1 and August 17, the skate wing possession limit will be reduced to the incidental limit of 500 lb of skate wings (1,135 lb whole weight) for all vessels for the remainder of Season 1.
If 85% of the annual skate wing TAL is projected to be landed any time between August 18 and April 30, the Regional Administrator may reduce the possession limit to the incidental limit of 500 lb of skate wings (1,135 lb whole weight) prevent overfishing from occurring, provided that doing so would not prevent the skate wing TAL from being attained.
When 90% of the skate bait seasonal quota is landed in either Season 1 or 2, or when 80% of the annual skate bait TAL is landed, the skate bait possession limit will be reduced to the incidental limit of 8,000 lb. If 100% of the skate bait TAL is landed, the skate bait fishery will be closed, and active LOAs will be voided.
Accountability Measures (AM)
If the skate wing fishery TAL or skate bait fishery TAL is determined to have been exceeded by more than 5% in any given year based upon, but not limited to, available landings information, the Regional Administrator shall reduce the inseason possession limit trigger for that fishery in the next fishing year by 1% for each 1% of the TAL overage.
If the ACL is determined to have been exceeded in any given year, based upon, but not limited to, available landings and discard information, the percent buffer between ACL and ACT, initially specified at 10%, shall be increased by 1% for each 1% ACL overage in the second fishing year following the fishing year in which the ACL overage occurred, through either the specifications or framework adjustment process.
Exempted Fishing
What is an Exempted Fishery?
Exempted fisheries allow vessels to fish for specific species without being subject to certain Northeast multispecies regulations, including days-at-sea, provided the bycatch of regulated species is minimal. To be approved and implemented, exemption programs must have demonstrated that incidental catch of Northeast multispecies is less than five percent of the total catch, by weight, and that the exemption will not jeopardize fishing mortality objectives.
Northeast Skate Fishery Exemptions
A vessel fishing in a NE multispecies DAS exemption program that permits skate retention may possess and land skate or skate parts equal to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board, or 500 lb of skate wings (1,135 lb whole weight), whichever is less. This program applies in to the skate fishery in the following exemption areas:
- Southern New England (SNE) Monkfish and Skate Trawl Exemption Area,
- SNE Monkfish, Skate, and Dogfish Gillnet Exemption Area, and
- Mid-Atlantic Exemption Area.
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area Exemption Program
A vessel issued a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance Permit and that complies with the associated requirements, is exempt from skate permit and possession limit restrictions while transiting the EEZ with skates on board the vessel, or landing skates in U.S. ports that were caught while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area. These vessels may possess, retain, and land barndoor skate; however, they may not possess, retain, or land other prohibited skate species such as thorny skate. A letter of authorization is required for participation in the NAFO Exemption Program, and other requirements and restrictions may apply. For more information, visit the NAFO website.
Skate Bait Fishery (Exempted Program / Letter of Authorization)
A holder of a federal skate permit may request and receive an exemption from the possession limits of the skate wing fishery to land whole skates for use as bait. A vessel with a valid Skate Bait Letter of Authorization (LOA) may possess and land up to 25,000 lb of whole skates. The exemption and entry into the bait fishery is granted through this LOA, which can be obtained from the Permit Office at (978)-282-8438. For more information on the Skate Bait Fishery and LOA Program, please visit our summary page.
Reporting a Commercial Catch
Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR)
Owners/operators of vessels holding a federal bluefish permit must submit VTRs electronically. For more information about trip reporting, and to see a list of approved eVTR software applications, please visit the Greater Atlantic Region vessel trip reporting page. Skates must be identified according to the following categories: Winter skate; little skate; little/winter skate; barndoor skate; smooth skate; thorny skate; clearnose skate; or rosette skate. Vessels may no longer report landings as 'unclassified' skate. All discards of skates must be reported according to two size classes: Large skates (greater than or equal to 23 inches total length) and small skates (less than 23 inches total length). Visit the skate identification guide for help identifying the different skate species.
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
The skate fishery does not specifically require VMS. However, vessels must abide by Northeast multispecies, scallop, or monkfish regulations if fishing on a day-at-sea (DAS) for one of those fisheries. Unless fishing on a Northeast multispecies sector trip, a vessel holding a federal fishing permit that requires an operating VMS must declare ‘out of fishery’ (DOF) through their VMS before starting a trip to fish for, possess, or land skates in an exempted area or fishery not requiring a DAS.
Other Reporting Information
The skate fishery does not have any Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or specific observer requirements. However, vessels must abide by Northeast multispecies, scallop, or monkfish regulations if fishing on a DAS for one of those fisheries. Additionally, all federally permitted vessels are obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program.
Commercial Gear Information
There are no specific gear requirements for the skate fishery. However, all vessels fishing for skates must follow Northeast (NE) multispecies, monkfish, or scallop regulations when fishing under a Day-at-Sea (DAS) for one of those fisheries.
Please refer to the regulations of those fisheries for more information.
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 07/29/2024
Management Overview
The Northeast skate complex fishery is managed by the New England Fishery Management Council, with NOAA Fisheries serving as the implementing body for rules and regulations within the fishery.
The fishing year runs from May 1 through April 30, with NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region jurisdiction covering from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (35° 15.3’ N latitude). The fishery is managed managed using separate possession limits and coastwide quotas for both the wing and bait fisheries, with different seasonal quota periods for each. The skate fishery is also indirectly managed by limiting fishing effort through days-at-sea (DAS) fisheries (Northeast multispecies, monkfish, and scallops).
While there are no specified management areas for the fishery, vessels fishing for skates in federal waters must also comply with Northeast multispecies, monkfish, or scallop regulations when fishing under a DAS for one of those fisheries. These include seasonal and year-round closures, Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) closures, and transiting/gear storage requirements. Please refer to the regulations of those fisheries for more information.
There are several exempted fishing areas defined for the skate fishery where DAS are not required, which you can learn more about on the Exempted Fishing tab on this page.
Control Date for the Skate Wing Fishery: March 31, 2014
Control Date for the Skate Bait Fishery: July 30, 2009
Management Plans
Specifications/Quotas
The Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP) requires the annual specification of catch and harvest limits for up to two years at a time. If specifications are not in place at the start of the fishing year, the existing specifications roll over until new regulations are finalized. Please see the Northeast skate complex commercial fishing page for information on the current specifications.
Regulatory History
- 1990s – Skate wing fishery evolved as skate was promoted as ‘underutilized species.’
- 1999 – Barndoor skate was petitioned to be listed as a candidate species under the Endangered Species Act; skate complex was assessed and determined that four of the seven skate complex species were in an overfished condition.
- 2000 – New England Fishery Management Council designated as responsible body for developing fishery management plan (FMP).
- 2003 – Northeast Skate Complex FMP implemented.
- 2007 – Amendment 1 standardized bycatch reporting methodology.
- 2010 – Amendment 3 implemented annual catch limits and accountability measures.
- 2011 – Framework 1 adjusted possession limits; Emergency Action to increase annual catch limits.
- 2014 – Framework 2 revised vessel and dealer reporting requirements.
- 2015 – Amendment 4 established standards of precision for bycatch estimation for all Northeast Region fisheries.
- 2016 – Framework 3 implemented management measures, specifications, and a new seasonal quota allocation for the skate wing fishery.
- 2018 – Framework 4 implemented several measures to reduce the risk of closures to the skate bait fishery; including a reduction in the skate bait season 3 possession limit, and establishment of a separate bait incidental possession limit from the wing fishery.
- 2018 – Framework 5 implemented specifications and several new management measures for the wing fishery; including limited possession of barndoor skate, and exemptions for some vessels when fishing exclusively within the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area.
- 2019 – Framework 6 reduced the management uncertainty buffer between the annual catch limit and catch target from 25 to 10 percent; this action is intended to extend the directed fishing time for both the skate wing and bait fisheries.
- 2020 – Framework 8 implemented specifications for the wing and bait fisheries; including increased seasonal trip limits for both.
- 2024 – Framework 12 implemented specifications for the wing and bait fisheries, including increased seasonal trip limits for the wing fishery, removed barndoor skate possession restrictions for the wing fishery, and removed smooth skate possession restrictions for the wing and bait fisheries.
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 07/29/2024
Science Overview
The most recent benchmark stock assessment for skates was in 2008. The next assessment is scheduled for 2023.
More Information
Recent Science Blogs
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 07/29/2024
Documents
Endangered Species Status Review Report for Thorny Skate (Amblyraja radiata)
The 2017 status review report conducted on a petition to list either the United States or North…
Data & Maps
Research
New England/Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Plans
We manage 14 fisheries in our region, six with the New England Council, five with the Mid-Atlantic Council, and two jointly.
Quota Monitoring in the Greater Atlantic Region
Provided on a weekly basis, catch and landings reports are used to evaluate and support our fishery management programs.
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 07/29/2024