Domestic Updates – June 2022
Closed Zones Currently in Government Crosshairs The 20-year plus Closed Zones off the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico that greatly improved recreational fishing in the regions, now face immediate NMFS threats as the agency, once again, ponders authorizing “pelagic longline research”. The research will collect data based on commercially hooked, landed and sold fish to assess the 20 years of accrued conservation benefits. TBF believes that authorizing pelagic longline gear to wipe out the conservation gains for billfish, sea turtles, marine mammals and a plethora of additional marine species in these areas is a poor management
