The monkfish is a strange and somewhat terrifying-looking fish, but it is relatively common in deeper waters surrounding the British Isles. Monkfish are ambush predators. They lie camouflaged on the seabed and use the protuberance on their head which is known as the esca — to attract small fish which think it is a source of food. Once they are in range the monkfish snaps forward with incredible speed to devour the fish in its huge mouth. The monkfish also has an expandable stomach which means they can eat fish which are almost as large as itself.
Footage of the monkfish carrying out an ambush attack on a prey fish can be seen here. With its huge mouth full of sharp teeth there is no doubt that the monkfish is a predator. Monkfish will take pouting, sandeels, cod, pollock, coalfish, dogfish, all kinds of flatfish and even small rays. They have also been caught with lobsters and crabs in their stomach, suggesting that monkfish are opportunistic predators that will eat pretty much anything that crosses their path.
The appearance of this icon denotes a link external to the Federal Government domain. The appearance of external links on this website does not constitute endorsement by NOAA Fisheries of the websites or the information, products or services contained therein.
For other than government authorized activities, NOAA Fisheries does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Monkfish Lophius americanus. Population Above target population levels. Fishing Rate At recommended levels. Habitat Impacts Area closures and gear restrictions protect habitat affected by some kinds of trawl gear. Bycatch Regulations limit possession of bycatch species and require modified fishing gear to reduce bycatch. Availability Year-round, with peaks in the late fall and spring.
Source U. Taste Mild. Texture The tail meat is firm, dense, and relatively boneless. Health Benefits Low in sodium; a good source of niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, and potassium; and a very good source of protein, phosphorus, and selenium. The U. The New England Fishery Management Council has the lead for developing measures in the monkfish fishery management plan.
Both areas are managed under the same plan. The vessel must declare the extra fish via VMS prior to crossing the demarcation line upon returning to port, or via the IVR line 1 hour prior to landing, to land the additional day's worth of monkfish.
To account for the trip limit overage, the monkfish DAS charge will be rounded to the next hr period plus 1 minute. Example : If you have two days' trip limits' worth of monkfish on board and you have declared into the monkfish DAS program for 15 hours, once you declare or call in this overage provision, you would be permitted to land 2 days' worth of monkfish. Your DAS charge for the trip would be adjusted from 15 hours to 24 hours and 1 minute. Also, after using the DAS adjustment provision, you may go right back out to start a new trip, even if the additional time has not passed for which your previous trip was charged.
To have the flexibility to land monkfish caught in excess of the incidental limit when fishing on a Northeast multispecies A DAS, a vessel must first declare the monkfish option on the vessel's VMS unit before leaving port, and can only fish in the Northern Fishery Management Area NFMA.
If this has been done, the vessel can change the trip declaration from a Northeast multispecies A DAS to a Monkfish DAS declaration before crossing the demarcation line on its return to port. This LOA is issued for a minimum of 7 days and may be obtained by calling our Permit Office at This does not apply to vessels with an operational VMS unit. Also, all sector vessels fishing on a monkfish DAS are required to participate in the at-sea monitoring program, because all catch of allocated groundfish stocks on that trip including discards counts against sector ACE.
Additionally, all federally permitted vessels are obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program. The monkfish fishery has some gear requirements that vary based on permit category, other types of permits owned, and planned fishing activity.
All of the following gear requirements apply while fishing for monkfish under a Monkfish day-at-sea DAS unless otherwise noted. Dredge gear is prohibited on a Monkfish DAS.
You may not have a dredge onboard your vessel while fishing on a Monkfish DAS trip. The minimum mesh size is inch square or inch diamond mesh throughout the codend for at least 45 continuous meshes forward of the terminus of the net. The minimum mesh size for the remainder of the trawl net is the regulated mesh size specified by the regulated mesh area being fished, as outlined in the Northeast multispecies regulations.
Exception: If you have a Monkfish Category C, D, or H permit and are fishing with trawl gear under both a monkfish and Northeast multispecies DAS, you are subject to the minimum mesh size determined by the Northeast multispecies fishery. However, you must go by the more restrictive mesh sizes as outlined in the Northeast multispecies regulations.
If you have a Category A or B permit, you may not fish with, haul, possess, or set more than gillnets at any time. If you have a Category C, D, F, or H permit and a limited access Northeast multispecies permit, you may not fish with, haul, possess, or set more than gillnets at any time. Please contact the Protected Resources Division at for more information, or visit their web page. Exempted fisheries allow vessels to fish for specific species without being subject to certain Northeast multispecies regulations, including days-at-sea, provided the bycatch of regulated species is minimal.
To be approved and implemented, exemption programs must have demonstrated that incidental catch of Northeast multispecies is less than five percent of the total catch, by weight, and that the exemption will not jeopardize fishing mortality objectives. If you choose to fish outside of the exemption area or an exempted fishery, you are also required to use a Northeast multispecies or scallop DAS simultaneously with your monkfish DAS.
There are five main exemption areas that apply to the monkfish fishery. Visit the provided summary pages for more detailed information about each one. Possession Limits and Mesh Sizes Associated with the SNE and MA Exemption Areas If you are using trawl gear, you need to be aware that your monkfish incidental trip limits depend upon whether you are fishing on either the east side or the west side of the boundary between the SNE and MA exemption areas.
The chart below depicts this area and the table at the end of this section shows the different incidental trip limits. For a specific breakdown of areas, gear, and trip limits, refer to the table below. A vessel's monkfish incidental catch limit is based upon the mesh size of the smallest mesh fished during the trip. A vessel issued a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance Permit and that complies with the associated requirements is exempt from monkfish permit, mesh size, effort-control, and possession limit restrictions while transiting the EEZ with monkfish on board the vessel, or landing monkfish in U.
A letter of authorization is required for participation in the NAFO Exemption Program, and other requirements and restrictions may apply. For more information, visit the NAFO website.
NOAA Fisheries is the implementing body for rules and regulations within the fishery. There are also two closed areas affected monkfish vessels. For more information on these areas, visit our Monkfish Fishery Closed Areas page. The non-VMS vessel must also make the proper trip declaration through the interactive voice response IVR call-in system.
Females live at least 13 years and males seven years. They grow to three to 4. They migrate seasonally to spawn and feed. Adult monkfish live on the seafloor, typically on sand, mud and shell habitats. They often partially bury themselves in sediment to disguise themselves in order to ambush prey. Properly handled and chilled on ice, fresh monkfish has a shelf life of 4 to 5 days. Frozen monkfish maintains its quality for up to 18 months if properly packaged and stored.
When choosing fresh monkfish, look for the following:.
0コメント