A series of port meetings continue in late September and October, providing a unique opportunity for fishermen and others interested in the king mackerel and Spanish mackerel fisheries to share their perspectives and vision for the future. The port meetings are being hosted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and state partners along the Atlantic coast in 2024. Meetings were held in North Carolina in April, New England in May, New York in June, and Georgia in July.

“These port meetings are more than public comment opportunities,” explained Council Chair Dr. Carolyn Belcher. “They are designed to gain a better understanding of the impacts of things like climate change and shift in fisheries on communities, consider inter-jurisdictional management, and discuss ways to maintain the long-term sustainability of stocks for these important fisheries.”

Attendees at the port meetings will have the chance to actively discuss their perspectives with other fishery participants and local Council members. The informal meetings allow stakeholders to share their insights and help determine the future of these fisheries. A complete list of the Council’s goals and objectives for the meetings is available from the Council’s website.

Before the 80s, commercial and recreational fishermen heavily fished Spanish and king mackerel, but the fishery was unregulated. The stocks were below target levels, so fishery managers implemented regulations to manage fishing rates, leaving today's populations above target population levels. Commercial fishermen have caught the two mackerel species from the South Florida area all the way up the East Coast to the Gulf of Maine; however, they are more commonly seen further south in warmer waters.

The South Atlantics Fishery Management Council is one of the eight regional fishery management councils in the U.S., and it was established by Congress in 1976 through the Magnusons-Stevens Act.