New Federal Rule Changes

The National Marine Fisheries Service’s recently issued its final decision on Gear Restricted Areas (GRA) and Weak Hook use by pelagic longline vessels. These decisions ARE NOT related to the more serious pending rule on whether to open Closed Zones to pelagic longline fishing under the guise of research.  The GRA decision abolished the area off Hatteras and converted those off New Jersey and in the Gulf of Mexico to pelagic longline Gear Monitoring Areas from which data is to be collected on bycatch of bluefin tunas.  The 12-month requirement for pelagic longline vessels fishing in the

NMFS Weakens Gear Restrictions in Atlantic Ocean

The Gear Restricted Area (GRA) off Cape Hatteras implemented to reduce bluefin tuna bycatch by pelagic longline vessels now is open to the gear. The waters had been closed December through April, but the NMFS decided it is no longer needed under the Individual Bluefin tuna Quota (IBQ) management system. Two Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Areas closed during April and May since 2015 and the Northeastern Closed Area off of New Jersey closed during June since 1999, are now pelagic longline Monitoring Areas, allowing longlining to resume.  Fishing is to be monitored for three years based on vessel’s