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Chapter 7 - Demersal Fishhave longer rebuilding schedules based on stock conditionsand biological constraints (NEFMC 2004). TheNEFMC and NMFS have implemented a suite of managementmeasures as part of the rebuilding plans, includingrestrictions on days at sea, closed areas, gear requirements,and trip limits. Major revisions to the groundfishmanagement plan, including a transition away from daysat sea management to “catch shares” and community sectors,are scheduled to take effect in May 2010.NEFMC implemented the Skate Fishery ManagementPlan in 2003, which includes all five skate species thatare part of this assessment. The FMP includes provisionsfor mandatory reporting by species; possession prohibitionson barndoor, thorny, and smooth skates; trip limitsfor winter skate; and a suite of measures in other FMPsto aid the recovery of overfished skate species. Barndoorand thorny skate have also been identified as Species ofConcern by NMFS. This designation raises the profile ofmanagement concerns for the species but does not mandateadditional regulations beyond those implementedthrough the NEFMC management plan.Commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder,scup, and black sea bass have been jointly managed bythe ASMFC and the MAFMC since 1997. The FMP containsseveral major regulatory provisions, including a totalannual quota, minimum size limits, bag limits, and quotasfor recreational fisheries, and annual quotas, minimumfish size limits, minimum mesh requirements for trawls,and pot and trap specifications for commercial fisheries.Spot, croaker, weakfish, and tautog are managed underindividual fishery management plans administered bythe ASMFC. The Atlantic croaker FMP (last amended2005) includes goals related to spawning stock biomassand habitat protection, fishing mortality targets, and provisionsfor regional management, but does not includespecific measures restricting commercial or recreationalharvest. The tautog FMP (last amended 2007) is focusedon reducing fishing mortality by both commercial andrecreational fisheries and includes minimum fish sizes,possession limits, gear restrictions, and closed seasons.The weakfish FMP (last amended 2002) includes overfishingdefinitions, a goal to restore weakfish populationage structure, and a goal to expand geographic range of thespecies. Management measures include size and possessionlimits for the recreational fishery and a combinationof size limits, gear restrictions for bycatch reduction, andpossible seasonal and/or year-round closed areas for thecommercial fishery. The spot FMP (last amended 2002)seeks to improve the quality of information on species distributionand abundance and does not include mandatorymanagement measures.Golden tilefish are managed as two distinct stocks inthe United States, one encompassing the Mid-AtlanticBight south to Cape Hatteras, and the other from CapeHatteras to the Gulf of Mexico. Implemented by theMAFMC in November of 2001, the tilefish FMP includesprovisions for limited entry in the commercialfishery and a system for dividing total allowable landingsamong three categories.Monkfish are jointly managed by the NEFMC and theMAFMC. Regional differences in prosecution of themonkfish fishery resulted in management of the speciesas two stocks (northern and southern), with the northernstock encompassing the Gulf of Maine to northernGeorges Bank and the southern stock encompassing centralGeorges Bank to the Mid-Atlantic Bight. The primarygoals of the Monkfish FMP are to end and preventoverfishing and to optimize yield and economic benefitsto various sectors involved in the fishery. Current regulatorymeasures vary with permit type, but include limitedaccess, days at sea limits, mesh size restrictions, trip limits,and minimum size limits.Spiny dogfish in federal waters are jointly managed bythe NEFMC and the MAFMC. The spiny dogfish FMPwas first adopted in 1998 and currently includes a femalespawning biomass rebuilding target, target fishing mortalityrate, and annual quotas on overall catch. Spiny dogfishin state waters are managed by the ASFMC.Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report 7-73