Federal regulations changes are underway for South Atlantic cobia that would allow states some control over the fishery and establish harvest quotas allocated to the states rather than across the entire South Atlantic region.
Harvest quotas will now be measured in terms of fish rather than by weight, with a total recreational target of 22,142 cobia across the entire fishery. The harvest has been allocated to the states with the following recreational harvest targets:
• Virginia: 8,724 fish
• North Carolina: 8,436 fish
• South Carolina: 2,679 fish
• Georgia: 2,081 fish
States still may set their own seasons and vessel limits to achieve their respective targets. States are required to implement measures by July 1, 2020.