The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted in favor of a compromise agreement this morning put together in recent days by Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, and the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Bottom Longline Fishing fleet aimed at reducing the often times fatal interactions between threatened loggerhead sea turtles and commercial fishing gear. With this agreement, the fishermen will be able to continue fishing, but areas of the Gulf where the majority of the interactions have taken place will now be off-limits to the fleet.
"Fishermen do not want to kill threatened sea turtles. And no one wants to see fishermen be put out of business. This agreement signifies a willingness for different interest groups to come together to find solutions that consider the best interests of both the turtles and the fishing fleet," explained Vicki Cornish, Ocean Conservancy’s vice president of marine wildlife conservation. "The agreement approved today not only helps to forge a way forward on what has been a very contentious issue, but also lays a solid foundation for our groups to work together in the future for better fisheries, safer and better gear to protect turtles, and a healthier Gulf of Mexico."
"A more extensive closure would have resulted in permanent damage to the commercial fleet. Our industry is already looking at an emergency closure this summer, and we would not have been able to sustain another blow like that. We need partners that will help find lasting solutions," said Bobby Spaeth, Executive Director of the Southern Offshore Fishing Association. "Both Ocean Conservancy and Oceana were willing to work with us to help solve this problem. When the opportunity to partner with groups that do not often see eye-to-eye comes along and it works this well, it makes a powerful point in itself."