Conservation
On July 7, 2006 the National Marine Fisheries Service announced the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Final Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan, which includes Atlantic billfish.
The NMFS’s new Management Plan did not impose a 5 year ban on recreational catches of Atlantic white marlin, but should effectively reduce the recreational mortality rate through expanded use of circle hooks.
The (HMS) Fishery Management Plan was developed by the NMFS in an effort to “do something” about the tragic decline of the Atlantic white marlin stocks. This is the latest in a series of actions taken by the NMFS in response to the Petition For The Listing Of The Atlantic White Marlin As A Threatened Or Endangered Species presented by The Biodiversity Legal Foundation in August of 2001.
The NMFS’s new Management Plan did not impose a 5 year ban on recreational catches of Atlantic white marlin, but should effectively reduce the recreational mortality rate through expanded use of circle hooks. On May 8, 2007 the NMFS has officially delayed the mandatory use of circle hooks for Atlantic Billfish Tournaments until 2008.
Read the full report in Adobe Acrobat PDF.
