In 2017, the first coastwide benchmark stock assessment was completed for spot. The assessment used a catch survey model to estimate population parameters (e.g., stock status, natural mortality, discard rates, and mortality) and biological reference points. However, due to conflicting trends in abundance and harvest, as well as other uncertainties, this assessment was not recommended to be used for management advice. There is a new benchmark stock assessment underway, scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Established under Addendum II, a traffic light approach (TLA) is typically conducted each year to evaluate fishery trends and develop management actions, if necessary. The name comes from assigning a color (red, yellow or green) to categorize relative levels of indicators that reflect the condition of the fish population (abundance metric) or fishery (harvest metric). For example, as harvest increases relative to the long-term mean, the proportion of green in a given year increases, and as harvest decreases, the amount of red in that year becomes more predominant. The TLA improves the management approach as it illustrates long-term trends in the stock and includes specific management recommendations in response to declines in the stock or fishery.

Recent TLA runs showed conflicting trends, with significant decreases in commercial harvest and juvenile abundance, slight decreases in harvest from the recreational sector, and slight increases in adult abundance. Based on these conflicting trends, the Technical Committee evaluated the TLA and recommended several adjustments, including incorporation of additional abundance surveys, application of age-length keys and length compositions to all abundance surveys to better estimate the number of adults, use of regional rather than coastwide metrics, a new reference time period, and a new triggering mechanism. These changes were incorporated into Addendum III, which the Board approved in February 2020.

In October 2020, the TLA was presented to the Board using the new methodology outlined in Addendum III. The results triggered management action due to significant declines in harvest in both the Mid-Atlantic (north of Virginia-North Carolina border) and South Atlantic (North Carolina to Florida) regions, and adult abundance in the Mid-Atlantic region in recent years. The TLA was above 30% in 2 of the last 3 years, triggering a moderate management response. Addendum III outlines this management response in only non-de minimis states, and these states were required to implement a 50 fish per person per day bag limit and a 1% reduction in commercial harvest from their 10-year average. Addendum III states these management measures must be in place for at least two years, before being reevaluated based on adult abundance metrics. 

In the most recent TLA, presented in August of 2022, adult abundance status was unknown in both the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic. This is due to fishery independent survey data unavailability. The Traffic Light Analysis was not conducted in 2023 due to continued unavailable data and so the Spot Technical Committee could focus on working on the 2025 benchmark stock assessment. A summary of the most recent TLA for fishing year 2021 can be found in the report here.