Gulf of Mexico Hotspots Mapping Initiative
NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are collaborating on a 5-year project to “evaluate the feasibility of bycatch hotspots” via communication networks in the Gulf of Mexico. Used as a tool to help reduce bycatch, the requested data from the recreational, charter, and commercial fisheries may be used to identify areas where high bycatch is likely. In other words, voluntarily reported angler data may be used to justify closing (spatial management) waters in the Gulf of Mexico to recreational fishing. TBF will monitor this issue and to stay up to date with all things billfish, become
West Coast Changes Coming
The phasing out of large mesh drift gillnets in federal waters and the potential authorization of deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) as a more sustainable fisheries alternative are 2 positive changes on the horizon. Large-mesh drift gillnets are currently set to be completely removed from California’s waters (< 3 miles from shore) as of January 31, 2024, a passed December 2022 bill now prohibits the use of large mesh gillnets in federal waters (3 – 200 miles offshore) off the U.S. West Coast. The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (PFMC) proposed Amendment 6 to its Highly Migratory Species (HMS)
Extreme Vessel Speed Reductions – East & Gulf Coasts
A federal proposal may implement an extreme vessel speed restriction of 11.5 mph for vessels 35 feet and larger when motoring through zones designated to reduce vessel strikes of endangered whales. While neither TBF, nor our fishing community would ever wish for the extinction of any marine creature, a speed reduction of this magnitude could dramatically restrain all marine-dependent commerce. Similar restrictions are even scheduled to be implemented within the eastern Gulf of Mexico to protect Rice’s Whales. As a better potential alternative, TBF recommends the federal agency work with the U.S. Navy and the Woods Hole
Update on California Drift Gillnets
A request to officially transition the California drift gillnet swordfish fishery from large mesh drift gillnets to alternative options was submitted under The Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act (H.R. 404 and S. 273) in an attempt to utilize more sustainable gear to conserve highly migratory species and healthier ecosystems. With fishing conservation at the forefront of the decision, California will be retiring said gillnets within state waters (< 3 miles from the coast) to ensure sustainable resources for current and future generations. While federal waters (3 to 200 miles offshore) will still have access to this type
Update on Closed Zones – October 2022
Decision on Closed Zones Coming Soon Unfortunately, we are still fighting against pelagic longlining being reopened within specific closed zones. As you might remember from last year, an announcement proposing the opening of parts of the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico Closed Zones to pelagic longlining was proposed as an option moving forward. It is now anticipated to be released very soon. As we have advocated and challenged countless times, there is no sound science behind such a decision, especially in light of the negative impacts on billfish, tuna, marine mammals, and associated nurseries. To stay up
Proposed Speed Zones Along the East Coast
Extreme Vessel Speed Reductions Once again, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has failed to consider the effects of their decisions on the recreational fishing community. Their recent proposal, which aims to restrict vessel speeds in areas where the North Atlantic Right Whale is known to be present, will be devastating for our community. Just as we experienced with the shark depredation issue earlier in the year, the government has failed to understand how their actions (or inactions) can have negative consequences on ALL users. Let us be clear though: The Billfish Foundation (TBF) understands the importance of protecting
Amendment 13 Finalized
As of October 3, 2022, Amendment 13 for Bluefin Tuna is now complete and includes changes for commercial fishing under the Individual Bluefin Quota system. Fortunately, there were fewer impacts on the recreational fishing community. One notable change is related to the division of the North Angling Area into two areas, thus requiring the total angling quota to now be divided among four areas instead of three. Regarding quota transfers, NMFS is transferring 125 metric tons of Atlantic bluefin tuna quota from the Reserve to the General category for October and November 2022. The new sub-quota is 177.9 metric
Gulf of Mexico Restoration Plan
Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, a group of federal representatives have continued to assess and develop recovery strategies for injured marine resources. Referred to as The Open Ocean Trustees, their most recent plan is a result of past collaborative work and stakeholder input, which aims to restore those affected resources. This strategic Plan will guide restoration of priority fish and water column invertebrates. Atlantic blue marlin, which are overfished and overfishing is taking place, have been identified as a priority species. (To learn the difference between overfished and overfishing
Bluefin Quota Allocation Transfer – Sept 2022
NMFS transferred 90.5 metric tons of Atlantic bluefin tuna from the Reserve Category to the General Category for the remainder of this month to cover a 20.5 metric ton quota overage created earlier this year. The additional tonnage applies to the commercial Atlantic Tunas General category permitted vessels and to Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for bluefin
Estimating Pelagic Longline Bycatch
Over the years, Dr. C. Phillip Goodyear, TBF’s billfish scientist has developed “species distribution models” for highly migratory species that estimate time-varying, three-dimensional distribution of habitat. These models are useful in estimating abundances, visualizing stock boundaries and estimating abundance from catch per unit of effort. They incorporate a wide range of biological and environmental data. Examples include depth, annual average estimated total chlorophyll by latitude and longitude, water temperature and oxygen by latitude, longitude, and depth by month and year. This year, Goodyear and a team of scientists led by Elizabeth Babcock, demonstrated that a bycatch estimation tool, created
