Late-breaking, gut-wrenching news: You have seven days to comment on a proposal to let longline boats back into the closed areas off Florida coasts.

The Gulf Stream off Florida’s east coast and the DeSoto Canyon in the northern Gulf have been closed to commercial swordfish longlining for several years. In that time, we’ve seen a major recovery of swordfish, and great numbers of sailfish, dolphin and wahoo in these areas.

Now, six commercial longline boats are trying to get National Marine Fisheries Service permit to sneak back into the closed waters under the guise of “research” to reduce longline bykill. They have virtually the entire Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico to conduct the so called bycatch research

“They absolutely do not need to longline in the closed areas,” said Ted Forsgren, executive director of Coastal Conservation Association Florida. “This proposal looks more like a special deal for six longliners to fish in closed areas than any legitimate research.”

Send your objections no later than 5 p.m., Monday, April 11, to:

Heather Stirratt
HMS Management Division:  F/SF1
Office of Sustainable Fisheries
National Marine Fisheries Service

E-mail comments to:

ID032805A@noaa.gov - include in the subject line I.D. 032805A

Faxed comments can be sent to: (301) 713-1917

FS