The monkfish fishery and its management in the northeastern USA

Abstract

The domestic monkfish (Lophius americanus) fishery off the northeastern USA is described, along with the management response to the expansion of the fishery and the challenges posed to the management and scientific processes. The US fishery was virtually non-existent in the early 1980s, but it expanded rapidly over the next decade to the point that a management plan became necessary to regulate harvesting. By law, US fishery management plans must include measurable biological reference points based on maximum sustainable yield or a proxy; management plans must stop overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks. For monkfish, the limited biological and historical fisheries information presented significant challenges to science and management and resulted in the adoption of innovative approaches to comply with the law. © 2008 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved.