Western Central Atlantic recreational and commercial catch in the U.S. continues to decline. Preliminary 2023 recreational landings were the lowest in history for both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and 2023 results from our vessel catch and effort research in Puerto Rico observed a poor fall and winter run for dolphin along the north coast. Progress on the current South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) dolphin management amendment, known as regulatory amendment 3, is on hold until December 2024. Without prompt action to move it forward at that time, the declining trend is at risk of continuing well into the future because no new management or conservation measures will be implemented along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. While an important working group on dolphin management is currently underway with NOAA, and an international effort through the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC) is also set to begin, the pace at which they occur will not allow for meaningful management action to take place at least in the next two years. Consequently, it is even more critical for anglers to take action themselves, and one of the most effective ways to do this is to engage in data collection. One of the principle reasons dolphin management is lacking is due to the lack of data across the species range in the WCA. Click here to request a tagging kit to participate in data collection on the species and click here to learn more about what steps are being taken by NOAA and WECAFC to work toward future management improvements for the WCA stock.
