Amendment No. 5 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (Mackerels).

This Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic makes a number of changes in the management regime for Spanish mackerel, King mackerel and Cobia. The Amendment: extends the management area for Atlantic groups of mackerels through the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC) area of jurisdiction; revises problems in the fishery and plan objectives; revises the fishing year for Gulf group Spanish mackerel from July-June to April-March; revises the definition of "overfishing"; adds cobia to the annual stock assessment procedure; provides that the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) will be responsible for pre-season adjustments of TACs and bag limits for the Atlantic migratory groups of mackerels while the Gulf Council will be responsible for Gulf migratory groups; continues to manage the two recognized Gulf migratory groups of king mackerel as one until management measures appropriate to the eastern and western groups can be determined; redefines recreational bag limits as daily limits; deletes a provision that specified that bag limit catches of mackerel may be sold; provides guidelines for corporate commercial vessel permits; specifies that Gulf group king mackerel may be taken only by hook-and-line and run-around gill nets; imposes a bag limit of two cobia per person per day for all fishermen; established a minimum size for king mackerel and includes a definition of "conflict" to provide guidance to the Secretary.