The PEW Charitable Trusts wanted to alert you to a potential plan by Southeast fishery managers that would limit deep-water fishing in targeted areas of the South Atlantic to protect two imperiled species, warsaw grouper and speckled hind.
Both species are at critically low population levels and in dire need of help. The protected areas also would help other species, such as red grouper, which are recovering after decades of overfishing.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is discussing the plan next week during a meeting in Charleston. Members are weighing a dozen new protected area locations along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. They also are discussing a plan to reconfigure up to four of the eight existing protected areas to capture better habitat for the fish. These areas range in size from two to 89 square miles each. Some fishing at the surface, called trolling, would be allowed in all these areas.
Council members are discussing the pros and cons of protected area locations next week. They also will review a plan to evaluate and monitor the sites. Although public hearings and a final vote will not happen until next year, we wanted to put this on your radar now because it is a major project moving forward.
More details about the plan are explained in our media-friendly fact sheet here below.
The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life.
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