Stop Longline Overfishing

TBF NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Waters in the Gulf of Mexico and off Florida’s east coast and Charleston were closed 20 years ago to protect overfished marlin, sailfish, juvenile swordfish, marine mammals, some sharks and tunas and sea turtles, whose populations are overfished due to being caught as bycatch in pelagic longline fishing. Only swordfish have recovered. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes to open the Closed Zones to pelagic longline gear to fish for swordfish.

Goals:
(1) Protect overfished marlin, sailfish, tunas, sharks, sea turtles, marine mammals from pelagic longline fishing.
(2) Improve species abundance by retaining the Closed Zones and, thus, recreational fishing.
(3) Support thousands of jobs in the recreational fishing, boating, and marine industries, which generate huge economic returns to coastal communities.

TBF needs you to:
– Copy the TBF supplied letter or your own to your Senators and Representatives making clear your opposition to the NMFS proposal.

– Click on the orange button below to locate and email your Senators and Representatives in D.C. (addresses provided by the site).

– Write Dept Commerce Fish in the subject line of the email.

– Follow the instructions on the site and paste the TBF supplied letter or your own in the form provided.

– Select the topic for your representatives that most closely aligns with these keywords Commerce/jobs/economy or fish/ocean.

– Add your name, contact information, and submit.

Questions:

Contact Ellen Peel at (954) 202-9267 (office), (954) 593-1231 (cell) or via email to ellen_peel@billfish.org.

Step One

Copy Letter:

Dear Congressional Members,

I, along with The Billfish Foundation, thousands of anglers, captains, mates, boat owners, big game fishing clubs, fishing tournament directors, recreational fishing/boating/equipment manufacturing, sales, and service businesses, ask you to stop the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) from opening Closed Zones in the Gulf of Mexico and off the east coast of Florida and Charleston to commercial pelagic longline fishing for swordfish. The NMFS action is being advanced under the guise of “research.”

The Zones were closed 20 years ago to protect overfished marlin, sailfish, juvenile swordfish, some sharks and tunas, plus marine mammals and sea turtles, whose populations are overfished due to pelagic longline fishing. Only swordfish have recovered leaving the other overfished species in need of continued Closed Zone protections. Commercial buoy gear is a sustainable fishing gear that should replace pelagic longline gear.

Retaining Closed Zones will:

(1) Protect overfished marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tunas, sharks, sea turtles and marine mammals from pelagic longline fishing.

(2) Improve species abundance to improve recreational fishing for thousands of anglers.

(3) Support thousands of jobs in the recreational fishing, boating and marine industries, which generate huge economic returns to coastal communities. Saltwater recreational fishing in the southeast and west south central (Gulf) contributes over $12 million in federal taxes, $8.5 million in state taxes, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs with $5 million in wages.

I respectfully call upon you and the Secretary of Commerce’s Office to stop the NMFS from opening the established Closed Zones to pelagic longline fishing.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]