US Atlantic spiny dogfish
Last Updated: 13 December 2011
Number of fisheries: 1
Species
Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)
MSC assessment status
The certification body, Intertek Moody Marine, has announced that the peer review of the draft report for the US Atlantic spiny dogfish fishery is now underway. This review process is due for completion by mid-January, 2012.
Please refer to the assessment downloads section for further information.
Fishery location
North west Atlantic within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). FAO 21 – US Federal waters (> 3 nm – 200 nm) and the waters of individual U.S. States (0 – 3 nm).
Fishing method
Otter trawl, long line and gill net.
Fishery management
The National Marine Fisheries Services manages the fisheries prosecuted between 3 and 200 miles of shore. NMFS is an agency of National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is in the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Magnusson Act set up 8 regional fisheries management councils to make recommendations to NMFS. The councils create plans to manage each fishery in the region, and usually have members who represent NMFS, State governments, conservationists, commercial and recreational fishermen, and business people.The Spiny Dogfish fishery is jointly managed by the Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC) and the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC). A joint FMP for Federal waters was developed by MAFMC and NEFMC and implemented in 2000. The objective was to halt large scale depletion of reproductively mature female Spiny Dogfish and allow the stock to recover to a sustainable level.
Commercial market
The main commercial market is the EU market that demands fillets.
Assessment timeline
The assessment process is scheduled for completion around May 2012. Please see the download section for a revised assessment timeline.
The target eligibility date for this fishery is the 31st July 2011.
The MSC ecolabel can only be applied to product from certified fisheries. The MSC program does allow, in certain circumstances and within strict traceability requirements, the MSC ecolabel to be applied following certification to product caught before the actual date of certification. The target eligibility date therefore represents the date from which products may become eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel, however they cannot be sold until and if the fishery is certified. The actual eligibility date will be determined if the fishery is certified to the MSC standard.
To find out more about when fish from this fishery may be sold with the MSC ecolabel, please follow this link (http://www.msc.org/get-certified/supply-chain/eligibility-dates).
Tonnage of the fishery
In 2008 total catch was 2,239 mt
