Commercial Fishing Regulations
Prohibitions
Possession or landing of thorny skates is prohibited. Possession or landing of barndoor skates is prohibited in the bait fishery.
There is a skate identification guide available to help you identify each potential species of skate in the Northeast Skate Complex.
Possession and Size Requirements
2025 Wing Fishery Seasonal Possession Limits
| Trip Type | Season | Trip Limit (lb) |
|---|
| Skate Wings | Whole Skates |
|---|
| Northeast (NE) Multispecies A, Scallop, or Monkfish Day-at-Sea (DAS) | 1: May 1 - Aug 31 | 4,000 | 9,080 |
| 2: Sept 1 - Apr 30 | 6,000 | 13,620 |
| NE Multispecies B DAS | All Year: May 1 - Apr 30 | 275 | 625 |
| Non-DAS | All Year: May 1 - Apr 30 | 625 | 1,419 |
There are no size limits under the skate wing fishery.
2025 Bait Fishery Seasonal Possession Limits
| Trip Type | Season | Trip Limit (lb) |
|---|
| Skate Wings | Whole Skates |
|---|
| Skate Bait LOA | All Year: May 1 - Apr 30 | 0 | 25,000 |
For more information about the Skate Bait Fishery and Letter of Authorization Program, please see our summary page.
The skate bait fishery has a maximum size of 23 inches.
Allowable forms
Vessels may possess and land skate wings, wings with the associated carcasses possessed separately, and/or whole skates. The weight of skate carcasses may not exceed 1.27 times the weight of skate wings, and vessels may not possess skate carcasses without retaining the associated wings. Any combination of landed skate products must adhere to the trip limits described above. The conversion factor from wing to whole weight is 2.27
2025 Skate Specifications
| Overfishing Limit (OFL) | Undefined |
|---|
| Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 32,155 mt |
|---|
| Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 32,155 mt |
|---|
| Annual Catch Target (ACT) | 28,940 mt |
|---|
| Total Allowable Landings (TAL) | 15,718 mt |
|---|
| Wing TAL (66.5%) | 10,453 mt |
|---|
| Bait TAL (33.5%) | 5,266 mt |
|---|
2025 Seasonal Quota Allocations
| Fishery | Season | TAL (mt) |
|---|
| Wing | 1: May 1 - Aug 31 | 5,958 |
| 2: Sept 1 - Apr 30 | 4,495 |
| Bait | 1: May 1 - Jul 31 | 1,622 |
| 2: Aug 1 - Oct 31 | 1,954 |
| 3: Nov 1 - Apr 30 | 1,690 |
Inseason Actions
If 85% of the skate wing season 1 quota (57 percent of the annual skate wing TAL) is projected to be landed between May 1 and August 17, the skate wing possession limit will be reduced to the incidental limit of 500 lb of skate wings (1,135 lb whole weight) for all vessels for the remainder of Season 1.
If 85% of the annual skate wing TAL is projected to be landed any time between August 18 and April 30, the Regional Administrator may reduce the possession limit to the incidental limit of 500 lb of skate wings (1,135 lb whole weight) prevent overfishing from occurring, provided that doing so would not prevent the skate wing TAL from being attained.
When 90% of the skate bait seasonal quota is landed in either Season 1 or 2, or when 80% of the annual skate bait TAL is landed, the skate bait possession limit will be reduced to the incidental limit of 8,000 lb. If 100% of the skate bait TAL is landed, the skate bait fishery will be closed, and active LOAs will be voided.
Accountability Measures (AM)
If the skate wing fishery TAL or skate bait fishery TAL is determined to have been exceeded by more than 5% in any given year based upon, but not limited to, available landings information, the Regional Administrator shall reduce the inseason possession limit trigger for that fishery in the next fishing year by 1% for each 1% of the TAL overage.
If the ACL is determined to have been exceeded in any given year, based upon, but not limited to, available landings and discard information, the percent buffer between ACL and ACT, initially specified at 10%, shall be increased by 1% for each 1% ACL overage in the second fishing year following the fishing year in which the ACL overage occurred, through either the specifications or framework adjustment process.
Exempted Fishing
What is an Exempted Fishery?
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.
Northeast Skate Fishery Exemptions
A vessel fishing in a NE multispecies DAS exemption program that permits skate retention may possess and land skate or skate parts equal to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board, or 500 lb of skate wings (1,135 lb whole weight), whichever is less. This program applies in to the skate fishery in the following exemption areas:
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area Exemption Program
A vessel issued a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance Permit and that complies with the associated requirements, is exempt from skate permit and possession limit restrictions while transiting the EEZ with skates on board the vessel, or landing skates in U.S. ports that were caught while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area. These vessels may possess, retain, and land barndoor skate; however, they may not possess, retain, or land other prohibited skate species such as thorny skate. 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.
Skate Bait Fishery (Exempted Program / Letter of Authorization)
A holder of a federal skate permit may request and receive an exemption from the possession limits of the skate wing fishery to land whole skates for use as bait. A vessel with a valid Skate Bait Letter of Authorization (LOA) may possess and land up to 25,000 lb of whole skates. The exemption and entry into the bait fishery is granted through this LOA, which can be obtained from the Permit Office at (978)-282-8438. For more information on the Skate Bait Fishery and LOA Program, please visit our summary page.
Reporting a Commercial Catch
Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR)
Owners/operators of vessels holding a federal skate permit must submit VTRs electronically. For more information about trip reporting, and to see a list of approved eVTR software applications, please visit the Greater Atlantic Region vessel trip reporting page. Skates must be identified according to the following categories: Winter skate; little skate; little/winter skate; barndoor skate; smooth skate; thorny skate; clearnose skate; or rosette skate. Vessels may no longer report landings as 'unclassified' skate. All discards of skates must be reported according to two size classes: Large skates (greater than or equal to 23 inches total length) and small skates (less than 23 inches total length). Visit the skate identification guide for help identifying the different skate species.
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
The skate fishery does not specifically require VMS. However, vessels must abide by Northeast multispecies, scallop, or monkfish regulations if fishing on a day-at-sea (DAS) for one of those fisheries. Unless fishing on a Northeast multispecies sector trip, a vessel holding a federal fishing permit that requires an operating VMS must declare ‘out of fishery’ (DOF) through their VMS before starting a trip to fish for, possess, or land skates in an exempted area or fishery not requiring a DAS.
Other Reporting Information
The skate fishery does not have any Interactive Voice Response (IVR, accessible via FishOnline) or specific observer requirements. However, vessels must abide by Northeast multispecies, scallop, or monkfish regulations if fishing on a DAS for one of those fisheries. Additionally, all federally permitted vessels are obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program.
Commercial Gear Information
There are no specific gear requirements for the skate fishery. However, all vessels fishing for skates must follow Northeast (NE) multispecies, monkfish, or scallop regulations when fishing under a Day-at-Sea (DAS) for one of those fisheries.
Please refer to the regulations of those fisheries for more information.
Highflyers, part of the fishing gear, are stored onboard in between fishing efforts. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Dave McElroy
