The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its press release said that the new rule goes into effect on August 12, 2009, which would ban the commercial harvesting of krill, a small shrimp-like crustacean and a key source of nutrition in the marine food web. Mark Helvey, NOAA’s Fisheries Service Southwest Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, informed that krill are the foundation for a healthy marine ecosystem. He also said that protecting this vital food resource will help protect and maintain marine resources and put federal regulations in line with West-Coast states.
It is said that the States of California, Oregon and Washington currently have regulations prohibiting the harvesting of krill within three miles of their coastlines although there was no similar federal restriction within the three to 200-mile confines of the EEZ. The krill prohibition was adopted as Amendment 12 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which was developed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
William Douros, West Coast Regional Director for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, said that this is a great success for protecting the entire California Current ecosystem. He further told that this decision reflects strong teamwork within NOAA and a commitment to addressing the issues raised by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and Sanctuary Advisory Councils. Amendment 12 adds all species of krill under a new category, “prohibited harvest species.”
