Bluefish (U.S. Atlantic)

Pomatomus saltatrix

Sometimes known as Baby Blue, Blue, Chopper, Elf, Fatback, Greenfish, Hatteras Blue, Horse Mackerel, Skip Mackerel, Snap Mackerel, Snapper or Tailor.

This species is wild-caught.

Summary

Although mostly caught by recreational fishers, commercial Bluefish fishers also bring this species to market. Bluefish mature quickly, but fishing pressure is substantial enough that Bluefish remain overfished. Although managers have implemented a recovery plan, it's too early to assess its effectiveness. Most Bluefish are caught with gillnets, which occassionally entangle sea turtles and dolphins. When caught by hook and line, Bluefish are more ocean-friendly.

These fish contain levels of mercury or PCBs that may pose a health risk to adults and children. Please refer to www.EnvironmentalDefense.org/seafood for more details.

Criterion	Points
Life History	3.00
Abundance	0.75
Habitat Quality and Fishing Gear Impacts	2.00
Management	2.25
Bycatch	2.25
Final Score (average of criteria)	2.05
Color

Final Score	Color
2.60 - 4.00
2.20 - 2.59
1.80 - 2.19
1.40 - 1.79
0.00 - 1.39

Last updated October 23, 2005.

Life History

Core Points (only one selection allowed)

If a value for intrinsic rate of increase (‘r’) is known, assign the score below based on this value. If no r-value is available, assign the score below for the correct age at 50% maturity for females if specified, or for the correct value of growth rate ('k'). If no estimates of r, age at 50% maturity, or k are available, assign the score below based on maximum age.

1.00	Intrinsic rate of increase <0.05; OR age at 50% maturity >10 years; OR growth rate <0.15; OR maximum age >30 years.
2.00	Intrinsic rate of increase = 0.05-0.15; OR age at 50% maturity = 5-10 years; OR a growth rate = 0.16–0.30; OR maximum age = 11-30 years.
3.00	Intrinsic rate of increase >0.16; OR age at 50% maturity = 1-5 years; OR growth rate >0.30; OR maximum age <11 years. The estimate of instrinsic rate of increase (r) used in the 2003 assessment is 0.52 (ASMFC 2003b). Bluefish become sexually mature at 2 years of age. Fishbase (July 21, 2004) estimates that the growth rate (K) for Bluefish is 0.10 to 0.13. Maximum age is 12 years (ASMFC 2003a).

Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed)

-0.25	Species has special behaviors that make it especially vulnerable to fishing pressure (e.g., spawning aggregations; site fidelity; segregation by sex; migratory bottlenecks; unusual attraction to gear; etc.). Similarly sized Bluefish form large schools. These schools may occupy up to tens of square miles of ocean (ASMFC 2003a).
-0.25	Species has a strategy for sexual development that makes it especially vulnerable to fishing pressure (e.g., age at 50% maturity >20 years; sequential hermaphrodites; extremely low fecundity).
-0.25	Species has a small or restricted range (e.g., endemism; numerous evolutionarily significant units; restricted to one coastline; e.g., American lobster; striped bass; endemic reef fishes).
-0.25	Species exhibits high natural population variability driven by broad–scale environmental change (e.g., El Nino; decadal oscillations).

+0.25	Species does not have special behaviors that increase ease or population consequences of capture OR has special behaviors that make it less vulnerable to fishing pressure (e.g., species is widely dispersed during spawning).
+0.25	Species has a strategy for sexual development that makes it especially resilient to fishing pressure (e.g., age at 50% maturity <1 year; extremely high fecundity).
+0.25	Species is distributed over a very wide range (e.g., throughout an entire hemisphere or ocean basin; e.g., swordfish; tuna; Patagonian toothfish). Bluefish are found throughout the world in temperate and semi-tropical coastal regions, with the exception of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish is a migratory pelagic species. The U.S. western Atlantic population occurs from Nova Scotia to Florida in estuarine and continental shelf waters (MAFMC 1998).
+0.25	Species does not exhibit high natural population variability driven by broad-scale environmental change (e.g., El Nino; decadal oscillations).

3.00	Points for Life History

Abundance

Core Points (only one selection allowed)

Compared to natural or un-fished level, the species population is:

1.00	Low: Abundance or biomass is <75% of BMSY or similar proxy (e.g., spawning potential ratio). The most recent assessment for Bluefish was conducted in 2003 and its results were used to manage fisheries for the 2004 fishing season. The assessement concluded that average biomass (or total stock biomass) for 2002 was 51,550 mt, which is 48% of the biomass needed to produce Maximum Sustainable Yield (BMSY=107,500 mt) and 96% of the Biomass threshold (1/2BMSY =53,750 mt). Thus, the Bluefish population is considered overfished (ASMFC 2003b).
2.00	Medium: Abundance or biomass is 75–125% of BMSY or similar proxy; OR population is approaching or recovering from an overfished condition; OR adequate information on abundance or biomass is not available.
3.00	High: Abundance or biomass is >125% of BMSY or similar proxy.

Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed)

-0.25	The population is declining over a generational time scale (as indicated by biomass estimates or standardized CPUE).
-0.25	Age, size or sex distribution is skewed relative to the natural condition (e.g., truncated size/age structure or anomalous sex distribution). Data from fishery-independent surveys conducted by NMFS and described in the most recent stock assessment (2003) show that the vast majority of fish (90%) are less than 40 cm (fork length), meaning that these fish are Young-of-Year (YOY) (age-0 and age-1) Bluefish. Overall, there has been a declining trend in recruitment over the time series (ASMFC 2003b)
-0.25	Species is listed as “overfished” OR species is listed as “depleted”, “endangered”, or “threatened” by recognized national or international bodies. The Atlantic Bluefish population was classified as overfished in 2003. Overfishing, however, was not occurring (ASMFC 2003b).
-0.25	Current levels of abundance are likely to jeopardize the availability of food for other species or cause substantial change in the structure of the associated food web.

+0.25	The population is increasing over a generational time scale (as indicated by biomass estimates or standardized CPUE). The 2003 assessment of Bluefish in the U.S. Atlantic analyzed survey data from the Natonal Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and CPUE data from recreational fisheries for the years 1974 to 2001. The assessment showed that following the peak in biomass in 1979, biomass declined steadily through the mid-1990s to levels that are considered unsustainable for the population. However, in recent years, biomass has increased due to declining fishing mortality rates (ASMFC 2003b). This increase has been very evident in Long Island waters (Safina, Pers. Comm. 2004).
+0.25	Age, size or sex distribution is functionally normal.
+0.25	Species is close to virgin biomass.
+0.25	Current levels of abundance provide adequate food for other predators or are not known to affect the structure of the associated food web.

0.75	Points for Abundance

Habitat Quality and Fishing Gear Impacts

Core Points (only one selection allowed)

Select the option that most accurately describes the effect of the fishing method upon the habitat that it affects.

1.00	The fishing method causes great damage to physical and biogenic habitats (e.g., cyanide; blasting; bottom trawling; dredging).
2.00	The fishing method does moderate damage to physical and biogenic habitats (e.g., bottom gillnets; traps and pots; bottom longlines). The majority of the Total Allowable Landings are allocated to the recreational fishery (83%). Commercial fishers catch 17% of the total landings of Bluefish. The latest data available on gear types used in the commercial fishery come from catch data (not to be confused with landings data) from 2003 for fisheries from Maine to North Carolina. The majority of catches (73%) were taken in the gillnet fisheries (all types). The rest of the catches were taken by otter trawls (16%) and handlines (a form of hook and line fishing)(3%) (MAFMC 2004). We awarded a score of 2 here to account for the range of gillnets used (i.e. bottom, mid-water, and un-specified).
3.00	The fishing method does little damage to physical or biogenic habitats (e.g., hand picking; hand raking; hook and line; pelagic long lines; mid-water trawl or gillnet; purse seines).

Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed)

-0.25	Habitat for this species is so compromised from non-fishery impacts that the ability of the habitat to support this species is substantially reduced (e.g., dams; pollution; coastal development).
-0.25	Critical habitat areas (e.g., spawning areas) for this species are not protected by management using time/area closures, marine reserves, etc.
-0.25	No efforts are being made to minimize damage from existing gear types OR new or modified gear is increasing habitat damage (e.g., fitting trawls with roller rigs or rockhopping gear; more robust gear for deep-sea fisheries).
-0.25	If gear impacts are substantial, resilience of affected habitats is very slow (e.g., deep water corals; rocky bottoms).

+0.25	Habitat for this species remains robust and viable and is capable of supporting this species.
+0.25	Critical habitat areas (e.g., spawning areas) for this species are protected by management using time/area closures, marine reserves, etc.
+0.25	Gear innovations are being implemented over a majority of the fishing area to minimize damage from gear types OR no innovations necessary because gear effects are minimal.
+0.25	If gear impacts are substantial, resilience of affected habitats is fast (e.g., mud or sandy bottoms) OR gear effects are minimal.

2.00	Points for Habitat Quality and Fishing Gear Impacts

Management

Core Points (only one selection allowed)

Select the option that most accurately describes the current management of the fisheries of this species.

1.00

Regulations are ineffective (e.g., illegal fishing or overfishing is occurring) OR the fishery is unregulated (i.e., no control rules are in effect).

2.00

Management measures are in place over a major portion over the species’ range but implementation has not met conservation goals OR management measures are in place but have not been in place long enough to determine if they are likely to achieve conservation and sustainability goals.

There is management in place for Bluefish in the U.S. Atlantic. In 1979 fishermen urged the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) to develop a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Bluefish. The FMP, prepared jointly by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the MAFMC was formally approved in 1990 and covered the U.S. Atlantic population (fish occurring in state waters from Maine to Florida). Currently the U.S. Atlantic Bluefish fisheries are managed under Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan, established in 1998.

Both the commercial and recreational fisheries require operator and vessel permits. Commercial management measures also include minimum fish sizes, minimum mesh restrictions for otter trawls and gillnets, and total allowable landings (TAL) (or quotas). Management measures for the recreational fishery include possession limits, size limits, and seasonal closures (MAFMC 2003).

Overall, it is too early to determine if management for Bluefish is strong enought to achieve sustainability goals. The 2004 assessement has not yet been approved, and the rebuilding plan for the population is still underway.

3.00

Substantial management measures are in place over a large portion of the species range and have demonstrated success in achieving conservation and sustainability goals.

Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed)

-0.25	There is inadequate scientific monitoring of stock status, catch or fishing effort. Stock assessments are performed annually and catch and fishing effort is monitored in commercial and recreational fisheries (ASMFC 2003b). However, the 2004 stock assessment conducted by ASMFC, which would be used to set catch quotas for the 2005 fishing season, was rejected by the Stock Assessment Review Committee due to questions about the assessment model.
-0.25	Management does not explicitly address fishery effects on habitat, food webs, and ecosystems.
-0.25	This species is overfished and no recovery plan or an ineffective recovery plan is in place.
-0.25	Management has failed to reduce excess capacity in this fishery or implements subsidies that result in excess capacity in this fishery.

+0.25	There is adequate scientific monitoring, analysis and interpretation of stock status, catch and fishing effort.
+0.25	Management explicitly and effectively addresses fishery effects on habitat, food webs, and ecosystems.
+0.25	This species is overfished and there is a recovery plan (including benchmarks, timetables and methods to evaluate success) in place that is showing signs of success OR recovery plan is not needed. Bluefish are classified as overfished in the U.S. Atlantic. A recovery plan was implemented in 1999. Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan established a nine year rebuilding plan that would restore biomass to the level that would support fishing at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2007 or earlier. The plan aims to rebuild biomass by gradually reducing the Fishing Mortality Rate (F) through quotas and catch limits for commercial and recreational fisheries, respectively. Increases in biomass in recent years are attributed to the sucess of the rebuilding plan to decrease fishing mortality (ASMFC 2003b).
+0.25	Management has taken action to control excess capacity or reduce subsidies that result in excess capacity OR no measures are necessary because fishery is not overcapitalized. Atlantic Bluefish fisheries are not considered overcapitalized. Overall commercial landings have been below the established coastwide quotas every year. However, in some years states exceeded their quota. Recreational landings have been below the allowable recreational catch level since these limits were first implemented in 2002 (Montanez, Pers. Comm. 2004).

2.25	Points for Management

Bycatch

Core Points (only one selection allowed)

Select the option that most accurately describes the current level of bycatch and the consequences that result from fishing this species.

The term, "bycatch” used in this document excludes incidental catch of a species for which an adequate management framework exists.

The terms, “endangered, threatened, or protected,” used in this document refer to species status that is determined by national legislation such as the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (or another nation's equivalent), the IUCN Red List, or a credible scientific body such as the American Fisheries Society.

1.00

Bycatch in this fishery is high (>100% of targeted landings), OR regularly includes a “threatened, endangered or protected species.”

2.00

Bycatch in this fishery is moderate (10-99% of targeted landings) AND does not regularly include “threatened, endangered or protected species” OR level of bycatch is unknown.

Analysis of trawl data from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (based on sea sampling data using trawl gear during the period 1989-2000) showed that discards of bluefish comprised approximately 16% of total catch for all trips catching at least 1 lb. of bluefish (includes non-targeted fishing trips). Fishing trips that targeted bluefish had substantially lower discards of bluefish (Montanez, Pers. Comm., 2004).

There are some issues with bycatch of protected species in commercial gillnet fisheries, some of which catch and sell bluefish. A Section 7 Consultation (Biological Opinion (BO)) on the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery stated that the Mid-Atlantic gillnet fishery takes (via entanglement, capture, or hooking) sea turtles. Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempi) sea turtles are the primary species likely to be adversely affected by the commercial Bluefish fishery. The fishery is likely to be having the greatest effect on these turtles in the Mid-Atlantic region from spring through fall (NMFS 1999). In addition, gillnet fisheries that catch Bluefish in the process of targeting other species are known to take Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) (NOAA 2003).

We awarded a score of 2 here to account for the occassional take of protected species.

3.00

Bycatch in this fishery is low (<10% of targeted landings) and does not regularly include "threatened, endangered or protected species."

Points of Adjustment (multiple selections allowed)

-0.25	Bycatch in this fishery is a contributing factor to the decline of “threatened, endangered, or protected species" and no effective measures are being taken to reduce it.
-0.25	Bycatch of targeted or non-targeted species (e.g., undersize individuals) in this fishery is high and no measures are being taken to reduce it.
-0.25	Bycatch of this species (e.g., undersize individuals) in other fisheries is high OR bycatch of this species in other fisheries inhibits its recovery, and no measures are being taken to reduce it.
-0.25	The continued removal of the bycatch species contributes to its decline.

+0.25	Measures taken over a major portion of the species range have been shown to reduce bycatch of “threatened, endangered, or protected species” or bycatch rates are no longer deemed to affect the abundance of the “protected” bycatch species OR no measures needed because fishery is highly selective (e.g., harpoon; spear). NOAA Fisheries has worked with the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Team to produce recommendations on how to reduce takes of of bottlenose dolphins incidental to commercial gillnet fisheries (NOAA 2003). The regulations are currently in draft development and are expected to be published as a proposed rule in the Federal Register in September 2004 (Carlson, Pers. Comm 2004).
+0.25	There is bycatch of targeted (e.g., undersize individuals) or non-targeted species in this fishery and measures (e.g., gear modifications) have been implemented that have been shown to reduce bycatch over a large portion of the species range OR no measures are needed because fishery is highly selective (e.g., harpoon; spear).
+0.25	Bycatch of this species in other fisheries is low OR bycatch of this species in other fisheries inhibits its recovery, but effective measures are being taken to reduce it over a large portion of the range.
+0.25	The continued removal of the bycatch species in the targeted fishery has had or will likely have little or no impact on populations of the bycatch species OR there are no significant bycatch concerns because the fishery is highly selective (e.g., harpoon; spear).

2.25	Points for Bycatch

References

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC 2003a). 2003. Species Profile: Bluefish. Available online at: http://www.asmfc.org/speciesDocuments/bluefish/bluefishProfile.pdf.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC 2003b). 2003. Population Assessment and the Short-term Stock Projections of the Bluefish Population. A Report to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Monitoring Committee. Available online at: www.asmfc.org.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Bluefish Factsheet. Available online at: http://www.asmfc.org/speciesDocuments/bluefish/bluefishFactsheet.pdf.

Carlson, Stacey. 2004. NOAA. Personal Communication.

Fishbase. July 21, 2004. Available online at: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Pomatomus&speciesname=saltatrix.

Kerns, Toni. 2004. Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Personal Communication.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) 2003. Bluefish Fishery Management Plan. Executive Summary-Amendment 1. Available online at: http://www.mafmc.org/mid-atlantic/fmp/blue-a1.htm.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) 1998. Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan.

Montanez, Jose. Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC). 2004. Personal Communication.

National Marine Fisheries Service. July 1999. Endangered Species Act-Section 7 Consultation. Biological Opinion. Consultation on the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery.

NOAA Fisheries. May 2003. Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan. Factsheet.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/readingrm/SE_BDTRP/fact_sheet_060703.pdf.

Safina, Carl. 2004. Blue Ocean Institute. Personal Communication.