The National Marine Fisheries Service ( NMFS ) recently announced its options to reopen the Closed Zones to pelagic longline fishing in Amendment 15 after 23 years of defending them off the U.S. East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Closed Zones were brought about by aquatic longline fishing because at the time, American ships were killing the most immature fish of any country that was fishing.
the types of the Atlantic. Property declines and anglers’ hook-up rates for billfish, tunas, fish and near-shore species are likely to follow if the nursery areas for the fish are in open areas.
To increase our work, we need your assistance. We must maintain as much of the Closed Zones closed to oceanic longlining as we can. We may keep you informed and ask for your assistance as the administrative process of the agency continues until September 2023.
The Foundation for Billfish
