NOAA FISHERIES SERVICE PROPOSES RULE TO IMPROVE SEA TURTLE BYCATCH MONITORING

Dec. 28, 2006 — To assist in the recovery of sea turtle populations, the NOAA Fisheries Service is proposing to increase the number of days the agency can require U.S. fishing vessels to take an observer on board. The new rule would help the agency better evaluate commercial fishing interactions with sea turtles. The rule would apply to commercial fishing vessels operating in both state and federal waters, from the coast out to 200 miles offshore. (Click NOAA image for larger view of green sea turtle in the NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Current regulations under the Endangered Species Act allow the NOAA Fisheries Service to place observers on vessels on a short-term basis in response to a mass sea turtle stranding. This proposed rule would increase the number of days from 30 to 180 that the agency may place observers in response to such an emergency. The extension is needed because temporary observer requirements do not enable the agency to collect comprehensive information on sea turtles and fishing activities.

"We're proposing this rule to increase our ability to protect sea turtles and restore their populations," said Bill Hogarth, director of the NOAA Fisheries Service. "Observers provide key scientific facts we need to minimize bycatch in our commercial fisheries."

The proposed rule can be found online. The agency will accept public comments on the proposal until February 20, 2007. Comments may be addressed to:

• Chief, Marine Mammal and Turtle Division
  Office of Protected Resources
  NOAA Fisheries Service
  1315 East-West Highway
  Silver Spring, MD 20910

Incidental take caused by fishing gear can result in turtle mortality or injury, and is one of the leading threats to sea turtles.

All sea turtle species are listed as either endangered or threatened. This proposed regulation would enable the NOAA Fisheries Service to adequately document sea turtle takes in commercial fisheries, to evaluate existing measures to reduce sea turtle takes and to determine whether there is a need for new or additional measures to reduce sea turtle takes.

The rule would allow the NOAA Fisheries Service to identify potential sea turtle interaction problems before they reach crisis levels that may call for more stringent management measures.

In 2007 NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and service to the nation. Starting with the establishment of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. The agency is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Proposed Observer Rule (PDF)

NOAA Fisheries Service

Media Contact:
Susan Buchanan, NOAA Fisheries Service, (301) 713-2370