According to the available information Reef Fish Amendment 31, which addresses sea turtle interactions with bottom longline fishing gear in the reef fish fishery of the Gulf of Mexico, will soon become law as the Council ahs send it to NOAA fisheries for final approval. It is told that the amendment will be reviewed and implemented by NOAA Fisheries Service.
Chief management actions contained in the amendment include: Longline endorsement requirement – Vessels must have average annual reef fish landings of 40,000 pounds or more from 1999 through 2007; Reef fish bottom longline fishing restricted to outside the 35-fathom depth contour from June – August; Vessels limited to 1000 hooks on board, 750 of which can be rigged and in the water.
It is also said that Amendment 31 was started earlier this year, after the Council received information that the number of threatened loggerhead sea turtles that have been caught in the bottom longline fishery has exceeded authorized levels. According to the report the Council is required by the Endangered Species Act to take action to provide protection for threatened loggerhead sea turtles from interactions with fishing gear. Most probably if approved the Amendment 31 will likely become effective in early 2010.
