Commercial Fishing
DEC Division of Marine Resources headquarters has moved to 123 Kings Park Blvd., Kings Park, New York 11754.
On This Page:
Commercial Fishing in New York State
Commercial fishing and the maritime industry are traditional and important components of New York State's culture and economy. New York State works closely with its stakeholders to protect the sustainability of the commercial fishing industry as well as the living marine resources of New York's marine and coastal district. For certain commercially harvested species, annual commercial quota allocations are provided by NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Fishery management tools such as fishing trip limits and quota management plans have been implemented for quota managed species.
For a complete list of New York State commercial fishing licenses, visit Marine Permits and Licenses.
Fishing Limits
Trip limits and fishery status (open or close) are updated often to manage the allocated quota distribution throughout the fishing year. Check the Commercial Harvest Limits for updated trip limits and fishery status information for all managed species of New York's marine and coastal district. Official regulations for these and other commercially harvested marine fish are located in Part 40 6 NYCRR (leaves DEC website). For information about New York's commercial lobster, crab and whelk fisheries, please visit Commercial Limits for Lobsters, Crabs and Whelk.
Quota Distribution Plans & Landings Overview
New York State develops distribution plans for quota managed species based on the allocations received from NOAA Fisheries and ASMFC, review of fishery management plans, and meetings and discussions with the commercial fishing industry. Review the quota distribution plan and current landings for the species below:
Photo Credit: Peter Anderson
- Black Sea Bass Quota & Landing Data
- Bluefish Quota & Landing Data
- Scup (Summer Period) Quota & Landing Data
- Summer Flounder Quota & Landing Data
- Horseshoe Crabs Quota & Landing Data
- Atlantic Menhaden Landing Data
Commercial Landing Data Summary
New York State commercial fisheries quota usage is assessed using various sources of data detailing all landings in New York State. Landings information are comprised of data from the following:
- state and federal dealer reports submitted online to SAFIS,
- vessel trip reports from federal permit holders submitted to NOAA Fisheries Service
- vessel trip reports from state permit holders submitted to DEC Division of Marine Resources
- vessel trip reports from state permit holders submitted online to SAFIS
Data sources: Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System (SAFIS) (leaves DEC website) operated by the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP), Greater Atlantic Fisheries Office (GARFO) (leaves DEC website) of NOAA Fisheries, and DEC Division of Marine Resources Commercial Fisheries Data Office (DMR) as reported on State Vessel Trip Reports
This information is provided as a service to New York's fishing community in the interest of transparency and improved communication. This data is provided as is and subject to changes and corrections.
Interstate Fisheries Management
New York State participates in several fishery management organizations. The Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission (ASMFC) is made of the 15 Atlantic coast states and coordinates the management of marine and anadromous resources found in the states' marine waters. The Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAMFC) is a group of regional fishery management councils that cooperatively manage marine resources found in the federal marine waters of that region. NOAA Fisheries is a branch of the federal government that is dedicated to the conservation and management of the marine resources of our country. NOAA Fisheries works cooperatively with the ASMFC and MAMFC to manage our shared marine resources. To learn more about these organizations, please use the links in the column to the right.
More about Commercial Fishing :
- Commercial Harvest Limits - Commercial saltwater fishing - size and possession limits
- Commercial Limits for Lobsters, Crabs & Whelk - Commercial Fishing Limits for Crustaceans, Horseshoe Crabs & Whelk
- Atlantic Menhaden Landing Data - Atlantic Menhaden Landing Data Summary
- Black Sea Bass Quota & Landings Data - Commercial Black Sea Bass Quota Distribution
- Bluefish Quota & Landings Data - Commercial Bluefish Quota Distribution
- Horseshoe Crab Quota & Landings Data - Commercial Horseshoe Crab Quota Distribution
- Scup Quota & Landings Data - Commercial Scup Quota Distribution
- Summer Flounder Quota & Landings Data - Commercial Summer Flounder Quota Distribution
- Commercial Fisheries Licensing Review - Progress of reviewing and revising how we manage the licensing of commercial marine fishermen in New York State
- Commercial Fishing Vessels - This page provides information on the 70-foot length restrictions set by law on commercial fishing vessels for the taking of fish, shellfish, or crustaceans. This page also includes a list of the exempted vessels.
- Special Harvest Programs - Description and rules for the Summer Flounder Weekly program.
- Tautog Tagging Program - 2020 New York State Commercial Tautog Tagging Program requires all commercially harvested tautog must be tagged in order to be sold or offered for sale.
- Map of Closed Horseshoe Crab Areas - Maps on this page display which areas are closed to Horseshoe Crab fishing.
- Map of Lobster Management Areas - Large Map of American Lobster Management Areas
- Map of Prohibited Crab Dredging Areas - Consult this Map to learn which areas are closed to crab dredging.
