Take Action: Urge NOAA to Strengthen Proposed Bluefin Tuna Protections
- by: The Pew Charitable Trusts - Arctic
- recipient: Thomas Warren, NOAA Fisheries
Earlier this year, more than 190,000 people urged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to protect depleted bluefin tuna from surface longline fishing. In response, NOAA released proposed measures aimed at protecting this incredible fish. While these rules are a start, changes are needed to better protect bluefin.
Surface longlines, stretching up to 40 miles and strung with hundreds of baited hooks, catch target fish, such as swordfish, and more than 80 unintended marine species, such as bluefin tuna. In 2012, because of this uncontrolled catch, surface longline fishermen exceeded their bluefin quota and were required to throw back, dead, almost 25 percent of the entire U.S. bluefin allotment. Much of this waste occurred in important areas off North Carolina and in the Gulf of Mexico, the only known spawning ground for western Atlantic bluefin tuna.
NOAA’s bluefin protection proposal is a step in the right direction, but we need your help to improve it. Join us in calling for greater bluefin protections in the Gulf of Mexico, a strict limit on bluefin mortality, and increased monitoring of longline fleets.
Surface longlines, stretching up to 40 miles and strung with hundreds of baited hooks, catch target fish, such as swordfish, and more than 80 unintended marine species, such as bluefin tuna. In 2012, because of this uncontrolled catch, surface longline fishermen exceeded their bluefin quota and were required to throw back, dead, almost 25 percent of the entire U.S. bluefin allotment. Much of this waste occurred in important areas off North Carolina and in the Gulf of Mexico, the only known spawning ground for western Atlantic bluefin tuna.
NOAA’s bluefin protection proposal is a step in the right direction, but we need your help to improve it. Join us in calling for greater bluefin protections in the Gulf of Mexico, a strict limit on bluefin mortality, and increased monitoring of longline fleets.
Dear Mr. Warren:
Please take advantage of this historic opportunity to reduce the wasteful catch of Atlantic bluefin tuna on longlines by implementing the March through May Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone Pelagic Longline Gear Restricted Area and the Cape Hatteras Gear Restricted Area that prevents all pelagic longline fishing from December through April. I also encourage you to implement a strict annual bluefin catch cap, the associated individual bluefin quota system, and enhanced at-sea monitoring to limit future catch of bluefin tuna in the longline fishery. Lastly, NOAA Fisheries should not reallocate additional bluefin quota to the longline fishery.
For decades, U.S. longlines have incidentally caught and killed depleted bluefin tuna. A significant portion of this catch occurs off the coast of North Carolina and in the Gulf of Mexico, the only known spawning ground for western Atlantic bluefin. The Small Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Area preferred by NOAA excludes important spawning habitat in the northeastern Gulf where bluefin catch is high, so it should be expanded to include the entire Gulf of Mexico and its duration lengthened to include the peak bluefin spawning season from March through May. Restricting access to the Gulf and implementing the Cape Hatteras Gear Restricted Area will protect bluefin tuna and encourage the use of more selective fishing methods capable of avoiding the catch of bluefin and other nontarget ocean wildlife.
The longline fishery regularly exceeds its annual bluefin quota. In 2012, the fishery surpassed its quota by 218 percent, requiring it to discard, dead, nearly 25 percent of the U.S. bluefin quota. NOAA should implement a strong suite of management measures, such as the bluefin catch cap and the individual bluefin quota system, to prevent these harmful overages and encourage fishermen to use more selective gears. Furthermore, the agency should not provide additional bluefin quota to the longline fishery beyond its current share of 8.1 percent of the U.S. quota, as this will only undercut the benefits of the bluefin catch cap and associated measures.
[Your comments will go here]
Thank you for your time and consideration. I am hopeful that NOAA will strengthen this rule as outlined above to ensure that it will help stop the waste of Atlantic bluefin on longlines.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionPlease take advantage of this historic opportunity to reduce the wasteful catch of Atlantic bluefin tuna on longlines by implementing the March through May Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone Pelagic Longline Gear Restricted Area and the Cape Hatteras Gear Restricted Area that prevents all pelagic longline fishing from December through April. I also encourage you to implement a strict annual bluefin catch cap, the associated individual bluefin quota system, and enhanced at-sea monitoring to limit future catch of bluefin tuna in the longline fishery. Lastly, NOAA Fisheries should not reallocate additional bluefin quota to the longline fishery.
For decades, U.S. longlines have incidentally caught and killed depleted bluefin tuna. A significant portion of this catch occurs off the coast of North Carolina and in the Gulf of Mexico, the only known spawning ground for western Atlantic bluefin. The Small Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Area preferred by NOAA excludes important spawning habitat in the northeastern Gulf where bluefin catch is high, so it should be expanded to include the entire Gulf of Mexico and its duration lengthened to include the peak bluefin spawning season from March through May. Restricting access to the Gulf and implementing the Cape Hatteras Gear Restricted Area will protect bluefin tuna and encourage the use of more selective fishing methods capable of avoiding the catch of bluefin and other nontarget ocean wildlife.
The longline fishery regularly exceeds its annual bluefin quota. In 2012, the fishery surpassed its quota by 218 percent, requiring it to discard, dead, nearly 25 percent of the U.S. bluefin quota. NOAA should implement a strong suite of management measures, such as the bluefin catch cap and the individual bluefin quota system, to prevent these harmful overages and encourage fishermen to use more selective gears. Furthermore, the agency should not provide additional bluefin quota to the longline fishery beyond its current share of 8.1 percent of the U.S. quota, as this will only undercut the benefits of the bluefin catch cap and associated measures.
[Your comments will go here]
Thank you for your time and consideration. I am hopeful that NOAA will strengthen this rule as outlined above to ensure that it will help stop the waste of Atlantic bluefin on longlines.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
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