Commercial fisheries for king mackerel exist along the Atlantic Coast from Virginia to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean. King mackerel are caught with gillnets, pound nets, rod and reel, handline, longlines, and other gear.
King mackerel is a substantial commercial fishery in Louisiana. From 2000 through 2014, Louisiana landed, on average, approximately 76 percent of the allotted western Gulf of Mexico quota. In 2014, approximately 1,111,806 pounds were landed in Louisiana alone, with a significant portion shipped to markets in the northeastern U.S.
The Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fisheries Management Councils regulate Spanish and king mackerel through the joint Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fisheries Management Plan (FMP).
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