The intrinsic rate of increase for Atlantic Mackerel is estimated to be r=0.33-0.56, while growth rate is between K=0.23-0.27 (Fishbase 2009). Sexual maturity starts at 2 years of age and most fish are mature by 3 years (NEFSC 2006). Maximum age observed is 17 years (MAFMC 2003). Their maximum size is 60 cm in length and 3.4 kg in weight (Fishbase 2009), but maximum size in U.S. waters is currently 42 cm and 1 kg (NEFSC 2006).

The recruitment of Atlantic Mackerel can vary greatly over time, with strong recruitment occurring in 1967, 1982, and 1999, and possibly 2003 and 2004 (NEFSC 2006). Because we do not know if these recruitment pulses are driven by environmental factors, no points were subtracted.

Atlantic Mackerel are found in the western Atlantic Cape Lookout, NC. to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the east coast of Newfoundland. They also occur in the eastern Atlantic, including the Baltic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas (DFO 2002; FAO 2004).

Atlantic Mackerel in European waters are depleted or harvested outside of safe biological limits (NEAFC 2003). In U.S. waters, however, the Atlantic Mackerel population is currently at a high level of abundance, having rebounded from being overfished in the 1970s. The spawning stock biomass of Atlantic Mackerel was estimated to be 2.3 million mt in 2004, which is considerably above the BMSY of 644,000 mt (NEFSC 2006). Because most Atlantic Mackerel sold in the U.S. comes from U.S waters, a core point of 3 was awarded.

After population recovery in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the age distribution of Atlantic Mackerel included many older fish (5-10 years) (NEFSC 2006). However, during the last few years, these older fish have not be present (NEFSC 2006).

Atlantic Mackerel are not being overfished and overfishing is not occurring (NEFSC 2006).

The Atlantic Mackerel population has increased greatly since the 1970s to high abundances in 2004, the most recent stock assessment (NEFSC 2006). Biomass levels from 2004 are estimated to have largely stabilized (NEFSC 2006), apart from annual variation in recruitment, thus no points were added.

Mid-water and bottom otter trawls land Atlantic Mackerel. Atlantic Mackerel are targeted by mid-water trawl fisheries and captured incidentally in benthic trawl fisheries for groundfish. In 2002, mid-water trawls landed 83% and bottom otter trawls landed 15% of the Atlantic Mackerel catch (MAFMC 2003). We awarded 3.00 points here because only mid-water trawling operations target Atlantic Mackerel, and benthic trawls land a relatively small proportion of the catch.

Designated essential fish habitat (EFH) areas of Atlantic Mackerel are not protected by management. Since the EFH is largely pelagic, however, other fisheries do not generally affect it (Seagraves, pers. comm., 2004). We chose not to subtract points because Atlantic Mackerel's EFH is not threatened.

There is no reason to suspect that the pelagic habitat of Atlantic Mackerel is not robust, since the population is at a high level of abundance.

Benthic trawling operations that land Atlantic Mackerel occur during the late fall and winter, when the fish are using sand- and mud-bottom habitats. There is no benthic trawling over the rocky habitats inhabited by Atlantic Mackerel during the spring and summer.

Atlantic Mackerel were overfished in the 1970s by extensive foreign fishing in U.S. waters. Managers greatly reduced the level of fishing by foreign vessels, and landings decreased from an average of 385,000 metric tons (mt) per year to less than 43,000 mt. As a result, the Atlantic Mackerel population in U.S. waters has recovered from being overfished and is currently at a high level of abundance (MAFMC 2003).

Managers are encouraging the growth of the Atlantic Mackerel fishery, because they consider it to be under-exploited in a climate of increasing global demand for mackerel. In preparation for the fishery's expansion, managers are considering ways to prevent overcapitalization of the fishery (MAFMC 2003).

Predation mortality is the most important component of natural mortality of Atlantic Mackerel. Other finfish, squid, Pilot Whales, Common Dolphins, Harbor Seals, porpoises, Tiger Shark, Blue Shark, and seabirds target Atlantic Mackerel as prey (MAFMC 2003). Fishery managers set catch limits based on calculations that include consideration of natural mortality due to predation. There is no indication that managers are actively addressing the ecosystem impacts of the Atlantic Mackerel fishery, however. (MAFMC 2003).

Surveys of population biomass of Atlantic Mackerel, including age distribution and recruitment patterns, are done regularly (NEFSC 2006).

This species is not overfished (MAFMC 2003), and, therefore, a recovery plan is not needed.

Managers currently classify the Atlantic Mackerel fishery as under-exploited, and their models suggest that the population could withstand greater fishing pressure. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking to develop the fishery further, however, it is exploring the use of a controlled access plan to prevent future overcapitalization in the fishery (MAFMC 2003).

The Atlantic Mackerel fishery is currently listed as a Category I fishery under the Marine Mammal Protection Act's List of Fisheries for 2004, which indicates that it has the highest level of impacts on marine mammals (i.e. mortalities and injuries exceed 50% of the Potential Biological Removal of the species). Atlantic Mackerel fisheries cause mortality and injury to White-sided Dolphins and Common Dolphins, which are protected by the Marine Mammals Protection Act.
From 1977-1991, observers reported 110 Common Dolphin and 42 White-sided Dolphin mortalities in the foreign Atlantic Mackerel fishery operating in the U.S. EEZ (NMFS 2003). Observer coverage was high (e.g. from 1983-1991, coverage was 58-100%) on the foreign vessels, and marine mammal bycatch estimates were, therefore, based on a large body of data. When foreign operations were excluded from the fishery in 1991, observer coverage fell to low levels, less than 1% in some years (NMFS 2003). As a result, current estimates of marine mammal mortality and injury in the Atlantic Mackerel fishery may be inaccurate. The Category I ranking is based upon one mortality of each species in 1997 fishery that was extrapolated to an estimated total of 161 mortalities of each dolphin that year in the Atlantic Mackerel fishery (NMFS 2003).
Clearly, greater observer coverage is needed to accurately assess and address marine mammal bycatch in this fishery.
During 1977-1991, 391 Pilot Whale mortalities were attributed to the Atlantic Mackerel foreign fleet fishery in U.S. waters (MAFMC 2003). Since the exclusion of foreign vessels from the fishery, however, there have been no Pilot Whale mortalities attributed to it (NMFS 2003).
We chose to award one point here because of the Category I classification of the fishery, but we caution that this ranking may change when new estimates based on increased observer coverage in the Atlantic Mackerel are released.

Managers have classified the Common Dolphin population as a strategic population, because the 1996-2000 average annual mortality in all fisheries exceeded Potential Biological Removal (PBR). The estimated mortality of Common Dolphins in the Atlantic Mackerel fishery is greater than 10% of the calculated PBR, which is 227 in the North Atlantic (NFMS 2003).
The Marine Mammal Protection Act mandates that Category I fisheries are required to immediately reduce bycatch of marine mammals. Despite this law, a NMFS Take Reduction Team to reduce bycatch of Common Dolphins and Pilot Whales in the Atlantic Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish fisheries is not scheduled to convene until the summer of 2006 (MAFMC 2003).

Atlantic Mackerel is captured incidentally and landed in benthic trawl fisheries that target other species. Managers account for these landings when setting catch limits (MAFMC 2003).

Mid-water trawl fisheries for Atlantic Mackerel also capture River Herring, Dogfish, Silver Hake, Longfin and Shortfin Squid, and Butterfish. The amount of bycatch is small, however, and causes little concern.