Ocean Special Area Management Plan Chapter 5: Commercial and Recreational Fisheries Table of Contents 500 Introduction.............................................................................................................................9 510 Marine Fisheries Resources in the Ocean SAMP Area.....................................................12 510.1 Species Included in this Chapter ..........................................................................12 510.1.1 Species important to commercial and recreational fisheries.....................12 510.1.2 Forage fish ................................................................................................15 510.1.3 Threatened and endangered species and species of concern ....................15 510.2 Life History, Habitat, and Fishery of Commercially and Recreationally Important Species............................................................................................................17 510.2.1 American lobster.......................................................................................17 510.2.2 Atlantic bonito ..........................................................................................19 510.2.3 Atlantic cod...............................................................................................20 510.2.4 Atlantic herring .........................................................................................21 510.2.5 Atlantic mackerel......................................................................................23 510.2.6 Atlantic sea scallop ...................................................................................25 510.2.7 Black sea bass ...........................................................................................26 510.2.8 Bluefish.....................................................................................................28 510.2.9 Butterfish...................................................................................................30 510.2.10 False albacore..........................................................................................31 510.2.11 Goosefish (monkfish)............................................................................. 32 510.2.12 Longfin squid..........................................................................................33 510.2.13 Menhaden................................................................................................35 510.2.14 Scup.........................................................................................................36 510.2.15 Shark, Blue..............................................................................................37 510.2.16 Shark, Shortfin mako ..............................................................................38 510.2.17 Shark, Thresher.......................................................................................39 510.2.18 Silver hake ..............................................................................................40 510.2.19 Skates ......................................................................................................42 510.2.20 Spiny dogfish ..........................................................................................43 510.2.21 Striped bass .............................................................................................44 510.2.22 Summer flounder ....................................................................................46 510.2.23 Tautog .....................................................................................................48 510.2.24 Tuna, Bluefin ..........................................................................................49 510.2.25 Tuna, Yellowfin ......................................................................................51 510.2.26 Winter flounder.......................................................................................52 510.2.27 Yellowtail flounder .................................................................................53 510.3 Stocks of Concern ..................................................................................................55 510.3.1 Georges Bank and Southward Cod...........................................................55 510.3.2 Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder .............................56 510.3.3 Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder........................56 510.3.4 Butterfish...................................................................................................57 5-4-2011 Approved Ocean SAMP Chapter 5 Page 1 of 166 Ocean Special Area Management Plan 510.4 Forage Fish .............................................................................................................57 510.5 Threatened and Endangered Species and Species of Concern ..........................58 510.5.1 Atlantic halibut..........................................................................................58 510.5.2 Atlantic sturgeon.......................................................................................59 510.5.3 Atlantic wolffish .......................................................................................60 510.5.4 Dusky shark ..............................................................................................60 510.5.5 Porbeagle shark.........................................................................................61 510.5.6 Rainbow smelt ..........................................................................................62 510.5.7 River herring (alewife and blueback herring).......................................... 62 510.5.8 Sand tiger shark.........................................................................................63 510.5.9 Thorny skate..............................................................................................63 510.6 Baseline Characterization of Species of Importance ..........................................64 510.6.1 Analysis of Total Catch Biomass..............................................................68 510.6.2 Analysis of Catch by Individual Species ..................................................72 520 Fish Habitat in the Ocean SAMP Area...............................................................................76 520.1 Benthic Habitat ......................................................................................................76 520.2 Habitat Requirements for Species of Importance...............................................76 520.3 Essential Fish Habitat............................................................................................78 520.4 Critical Habitat ......................................................................................................85 530 Commercial and Recreational Fisheries in the Ocean SAMP Area.................................86 530.1 History of Fisheries in Rhode Island....................................................................86 530.1.1 Commercial Fishing History.....................................................................86 530.1.2 Recreational Fishing History ....................................................................90 530.2 Rhode Island Commercial and Recreational Fishing Ports...............................90 530.2.1 Point Judith/Galilee...................................................................................91 530.2.2 Newport.....................................................................................................94 530.2.3 Sakonnet Point ..........................................................................................96 530.2.4 Block Island ..............................................................................................96 530.2.5 Other Commercial and Recreational Fishing Ports ..................................97 530.3 Description of Rhode Island’s Fisheries ..............................................................98 530.3.1 Bottom Types, Seasonal Migrations, and Fishing ....................................98 530.3.2 Mapping Fishing Activity Areas...............................................................98 530.4 Contemporary Commercial Mobile Gear Fisheries .........................................102 530.4.1 Description..............................................................................................102 530.4.2 Mobile Gear Fishing Activity Areas.......................................................103 530.5 Contemporary Commercial Fixed Gear Fisheries ...........................................109 530.5.1 Description...............................................................................................109 530.5.2 Fixed Gear Fishing Activity Areas ..........................................................111 530.6 Rhode Island Commercial Fisheries Effort and Landings ..............................114 530.6.1 RI Commercial Fisheries Landings ........................................................114 530.6.2 RI Commercial Fishing Effort ................................................................118 530.7 Contemporary Recreational and For-Hire Fishing..........................................124 530.7.1 Description..............................................................................................124 530.7.2 Recreational Fishing Catch and Effort Data ...........................................125 530.7.3 Recreational and For-Hire Fishing Activity Areas .................................131