Commercial Fishing

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.

NYS Commercial Fishing Licenses

Commercial Harvest Limits

Bucket of Crabs from Commercial Fishing

Annual commercial quota allocations for certain commercially harvested species are provided by NOAA Fisheries, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). As required by fishery management plans (FMPs) and through coordination with the commercial fishing industry, commercial fishing trip limits and quota management plans are developed annually for quota managed species.

Trip limits and fishery status (opened or closed) are updated to manage the allocated quota distribution throughout the fishing year. Check the Commercial Harvest Limits for updated trip limits, fishery status, size limit, and seasons for all managed species of New York's marine and coastal district. Official regulations for all commercially harvested marine fish are located in Part 40 6 NYCRR.

For information about New York's commercial lobster, crab and whelk fisheries, please visit Commercial Limits for Lobsters, Crabs and Whelk.

A list of current Food Fish and Crustacea Dealers and Shippers License holders can be found on Open Data NY. To view the list, click the link and then click the "Data" tab in the upper left corner of the page.

Commercial Landings

New York State Commercial Fishing Landings are assessed using various sources of data including:

-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

*This information is provided as a service to New York's fishing community in the interest of transparency and improved communication. The data is provided as is and subject to changes and corrections. New York Commercial Fishing Landings
Data Sources
Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System (SAFIS)
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO)
Vessel Trip Reports

Upcoming Meetings/Topics of Potential Interest to the Commercial Industry

NEFMC December Meeting (12/3 – 12/5)
For the agenda and information on how to join the meeting remotely:
https://www.nefmc.org/calendar/december-2024-council-meeting

ASMFC Informational Webinar to Review Atlantic Striped Bass Technical Report (12/5, 6-7:30pm)
For the agenda and information on how to join the meeting remotely:
https://asmfc.org/calendar/12/2024/Informational-Webinar-to-Review-Atlantic-Striped-Bass-Technical-Report/2444

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Advisory Panel (12/9, 4:30-7pm)
For the agenda and information on how to join the meeting remotely:
https://asmfc.org/calendar/12/2024/Atlantic-Striped-Bass-Advisory-Panel/2429

Marine Resources Advisory Striped Bass Management Meeting ( 12/10, 5:00 – 7:00 pm)
For how to join the meeting remotely:  https://dec.ny.gov/get-involved/events/2024/12/marine-resources-advisory-council-striped-bass-management-meeting

MAFMC December Meeting (12/10 - 12/12)
For the agenda and information on how to join the meeting remotely:
https://www.mafmc.org/council-events/2024/december-council-meeting

Spiny Dogfish Draft Addendum VII Public Hearing (12/11, 6-8pm)
For the agenda and information on how to join the meeting remotely:
https://asmfc.org/calendar/12/2024/Spiny-Dogfish-Draft-Addendum-VII-Public-Hearing/2457

Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP) Working Group Meeting (12/12, 9am-10am)
For the agenda and information on how to join the meeting remotely:
https://www.mafmc.org/council-events/2024/dec-12/ntap-wg

Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP) Orientation Meeting (12/13, 12-1:30pm)
For the agenda and information on how to join the meeting remotely:
https://www.mafmc.org/council-events/2024/dec-13/ntap

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board (12/16, 10am-2pm)
For the agenda and information on how to join the meeting remotely:
https://asmfc.org/calendar/12/2024/Atlantic-Striped-Bass-Management-Board-/2427

Quota Distribution Plans

2025 Commercial Fishing Quota Distribution Plans

New York State develops distribution plans annually 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. Quota distribution plans are subject to change during the year based on the rate of harvest.

Review the 2025 Draft Quota Distribution Plans (PDF) for commercial black sea bass, bluefish, scup, and summer flounder harvest allocations.

Review the Final 2025 Horseshoe Crab Distribution Plan (PDF).

Special Harvest Programs

Special harvest programs including the Cooperative Multi-State Possession and Landing Program and the Weekly Harvest Programs are established at the discretion of DEC.

  • The Multi-State Program allows New York State Commercial Food Fish and/or Summer Flounder permit holders to possess onboard multiple trip limits for black sea bass and/or summer flounder intended for ports in New York and cooperating states.
  • The Weekly Harvest Program allows New York State Commercial Food Fish and/or Summer Flounder permit holders to land a weekly limit of a particular species in excess of the daily limit during the fishing week.

For additional information on special harvest programs visit our Special Harvest Program webpage.

Marine Mammal Take Reduction Plans

As the state fisheries management body, DEC maintains a seat on all active, applicable Take Reduction Teams (TRTs). We facilitate the Take Reduction Plans (TRPs), which, as federal regulations, apply in all marine waters up to the shoreline. If state regulations exist that are more stringent, they will supersede Plan requirements. At this time, there are no state gear requirements and/or time/area closures that are more conservative. 

All affected fishermen should follow the measures described in each TRP. Below are brief overviews of each TRP with links to the official NOAA guidance documents for each plan. 

The Mid-Atlantic area in the Bottlenose Dolphin TRP extends to the NJ/NY state waters line but does not currently include waters in New York. Nevertheless, bycatch reduction methods like the use of sinking groundlines between traps are strongly encouraged. 

The Harbor Porpoise TRP focuses on commercial gillnet gear, which causes the most bycatch. 

  • New York exempted waters are: Moriches Bay Inlet, Fire Island Inlet, and Jones Inlet.
  • The Mid-Atlantic’s gear modification requirements are specific to mesh size: small mesh is 5-7 inches and large mesh is 7-18 inches.
  • Management areas that include New York are: the Waters off New Jersey Management Area and the North and South Mudhole Management Areas in the Mid-Atlantic Guide and the Southern New England Management Area and Cape Cod South Closure Area in the New England Guide.

See the regional guides and other regulatory documents for more information, including time of year restrictions and gear modifications. 

Focused on reducing North Atlantic right whale, humpback whale, and fin whale entanglements in commercial gillnet and trap/pot gear along the east coast, the Atlantic Large Whale TRP applies to the following fisheries: 

  • Mid-Atlantic gillnet
  • Mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot
  • Atlantic blue crab trap/pot
  • Atlantic mixed species trap/pot (including but not limited to: crab (red, Jonah, and rock), hagfish, fin-fish (black sea bass, scup, tautog, cod, haddock, pollock, redfish/ocean perch, and white hake), conch/whelk, and shrimp)

Exempted areas under the ALWTRP are Long Island Sound and New York Harbor. Plan requirements, such as use of weak links and sinking ground line, gear marking, seasonal area closures, and minimum number of traps per trawl, differ by gear type. 

  • The gillnet plan areas that include NY waters are: Other Northeast Gillnet Waters and Mid/South Atlantic Gillnet Waters. 
  • The trap/pot plan areas that include NY waters are: Southern Nearshore Trap/Pot Waters and Offshore Trap/Pot Waters. 
  • Maps of regulated areas include visuals for each plan and its modifications. 

Interstate Fisheries Management

New York State participates in the cooperative management of fisheries in state and federal waters. 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 states marine waters from 0 to 3 miles from shore. The Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAMFC) is part of a group of regional fishery management councils that manage marine resources found in federal marine waters from 3 to 200 miles from shore. NOAA Fisheries is a branch of the federal government that is dedicated to the conservation and management of the marine resources in our country. NOAA Fisheries works closely with the ASMFC and MAMFC to manage our shared marine resources.

Important Links

Commercial Fishing & Aquaculture Permits
Vessel Trip Reports
ACCSP And Electronic Reporting
Crabbing in NY
Contact for this Page

Division of Marine Resources
123 Kings Park Blvd. (Nissequogue River State Park)
Kings Park, NY 11754

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