NOAA Fisheries Service is about to take a closer look at the impact shrimp nets have on Sea turtles in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Over the past two years the Fisheries Service has documented increased sea turtle strandings in the northern Gulf of Mexico, particularly throughout the Mississippi Sound area.
A significant number of those turtles likely drowned, and that is usually caused by being held under water by shrimp nets.
NOAA fisheries says that recent information on the size and scope of the skimmer trawl fleet also indicates that the fishery may be affecting sea turtles in a manner not previously considered so the federal government is now considering new regulations to reduce the number of sea turtles killed in the shrimp fishery of the southeastern United States.
The first step of the process is public hearings to discuss the scope of the problem and how best to address them.
A number of hearings will be held across the southeast to get public input but at this time there are no meetings scheduled for Florida.
All of the meetings at this time are scheduled for Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and North Carolina.
NOAA Fisheries says it will provide a scoping document and a list of frequently asked questions as aids to the public on the scoping process.
The scoping document describes the major issues, current management and legal requirements, and identifies potential management measures NOAA is considering to reduce sea turtle deaths.
To get that information follow the link we’ve set up on this story at oysterradio.com.
http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments
No comments:
Post a Comment