Changes to Atlantic Cobia Regulations

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Fee (ASMFC) permitted main modifications to administration of Atlantic cobia throughout its summer season assembly the primary week of August. A shift from state-by-state to regional administration together with an adjustment to leisure quota allocations may result in extra restrictive rules for anglers from Virginia to Rhode Island.

Beforehand, catch targets have been set on a state-by-state foundation for Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The states north of Virginia have been grouped collectively as “de minimis,” which means cobia catches are rare sufficient to be thought-about inconsequential, lower than 1 p.c of the coastwide harvest. Cobia on the east coast of Florida are managed individually as a part of the Gulf of Mexico inventory by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Administration Council.

Going ahead, states from Virginia by Rhode Island are grouped right into a northern area for functions of cobia administration. The brand new southern area is North Carolina by Georgia. This reorganization and another procedural modifications are meant to deal with rising cobia harvest within the Mid-Atlantic in addition to excessive ranges of uncertainty with harvest estimates produced by NOAA’s Marine Leisure Info Program (MRIP).

Cobia Allocations Shift North

New catch allocations for the brand new areas have been additionally voted on on the assembly, with the six de minimis states voting as a block with Virginia. The northern area was granted 68.69 p.c of the overall coastwide leisure quota of 76,908 fish, leaving the southern zone with 31.31 p.c. It is a dramatic shift from earlier administration, which allotted 59.6 p.c of the catch to the southern zone states and 40.4 p.c of the catch from Virginia north.

“In essence, what occurred is Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina could have a smaller catch goal on an annual foundation than they’d earlier than,” says Spud Woodward, Georgia’s appointed commissioner and chair of the ASMFC’s Pelagic Administration Board, which manages cobia. “In reality, in numbers of fish, we went from these three states—with their particular person allocations being 45,837 fish— now right down to principally 24,080 fish.”

Paradoxically, this reallocation will lead to stricter rules for the northern zone, whereas southern zone rules will stay the identical, not less than within the brief time period, says Woodward. This is because of Virginia’s booming cobia fishery in decrease Chesapeake Bay.

Virginia’s Booming Cobia Fishery

As a gaggle, the southern area usually catches lower than its annual allotment, Woodward explains, whereas Virginia alone commonly overruns the catch goal for all of the northern states. That is why northern area states have been pushing for a bigger share of the catch, to extra absolutely make the most of the overall allowance because the cobia vary expands northward with warming ocean temperatures. 

From 2018 to 2023, “The Virginia state allocation was 30,302 fish. They exceeded that in all six years, and in two of these years, Virginia’s catch truly exceeded the whole coastwide catch, which is 76,908 fish,” says Woodward.

In 2018, Virginia’s estimated catch was 80,679 fish. In 2023, it was 81,824. “So, Virginia goes to must make some modifications to their harvest rules to get again in line,” Woodward says. “Regardless that they’re getting an even bigger share of the coastwide allowable catch, they’re nonetheless to this point over, even with the brand new allocation, that they’re going to must do one thing.”

Stricter Laws Coming Quickly

Woodward says it’s his understanding that Virginia might want to make modifications efficient early in 2025 or earlier than in order that they’re in impact for the 2025 fishing yr, however he’s not but certain what that can appear to be. Virginia already has probably the most restrictive cobia rules on the Atlantic Coast, with a June 15 to Sept. 15 open season, a minimal dimension restrict of 40 inches, an allowance for only one fish over 50 inches, and a one per individual, two per vessel bag restrict.

The opposite states north of Virginia may also must abide by new northern area rules, Woodward says. 

“For the southern area, from a fisherman’s standpoint, you’re not going to see something change when it comes to rules in these three states till we get a brand new evaluation. Which most likely means we received’t even take into account modifications, if obligatory, till ’26 and perhaps as late as ’27.” A brand new Atlantic cobia inventory evaluation is anticipated to be accomplished subsequent yr or early in 2026.