During summer, juvenile butterfish associate with jellyfish to avoid predators. Butterfish have been landed by domestic fishermen since the 1800s. From 1920 to 1962, the annual domestic harvest averaged 3,500 mt. During 1977 to 1986, when foreign fishing was being phased out, butterfish landings averaged 6,300 mt. The butterfish stock is managed under provisions of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.
Management is based on annual quota specifications.
Data collected at sea by fishery observers suggest that much of the fishing-induced mortality of butterfish is attributable to discarding at sea, and discarding may be a factor in the recent low levels of yield. Demand for Atlantic butterfish exports in the important Japanese market has also decreased in recent years. This has probably had a negative impact on the fishery. Overall, it appears that the butterfish stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. For further information Murawski, S. and G. Waring.