NMFS APPROVES LONGLINE RESEARCH
IN CLOSED AREAS

East Florida Coast and Charleston Bump effected

1/8/08  The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, aka NOAA Fisheries) announced its decision on January 3 to proceed with a scaled-down version of its proposal to allow swordfish longliners to conduct a bycatch reduction experiment inside areas off the US southern coast closed to longlining since 2000. The decision will effect portions of the East Florida Coast and Charleston Bump closed areas. Instead of 13 vessels, only three will be permitted and only two can fish at any one time. NMFS-certified observers must be aboard at all times. The boats will be testing the use of non-offset circle hooks, rather than offset circle hooks as originally proposed by the industry. Finally, half the longline sets will be made outside the closed areas.

These are positive changes made in response to protests by NCMC and others. Unfortunately, we are disappointed that the experiment is limited to collecting data on bycatch with circle hooks, and will not test the use of shorter sets and soak times. A typical longline set is over 20 miles and hooks stay in the water up to 12 hours. Past studies have shown that mortality of billfish and other species increases over time, even with circle hooks.

NMFS’ failure to develop criteria for assessing the results of the experiment – standard research protocol – is also troubling. “Our focus now will be on the data collected over the next year and what it means, if anything, in terms of the future of the closed areas,” says NCMC president Ken Hinman. “We will not allow poorly-designed ‘research’ to be used as an excuse to re-open areas to longlining if it undermines conservation of the vulnerable species these closures are now protecting.”

For more background information, read the news item from NMFS and see our article from August 2007.

View a map of all areas on the US east and gulf coasts closed to longlining since 2000.

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