Campaign News
Reef Fish
Government Sued for Failure to Protect Essential Fish Habitat In the U.S. Carib(Aug 99)
Campaign to Protect Spawning Aggregation of Tiger Groupers in Puerto Rico(Aug 99)
Support needed for No-Fishing Area in Gulf of Mexico (April '99)
Government Sued for
Failure to Protect Essential Fish Habitat
In the U.S. Caribbean
The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Caribbean Fishery Management Council have been listed as defendants in a lawsuit filed at the end of May accusing the federal government of failing to protect marine habitats as required by the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act. ReefKeeper International, the non-profit coral reef conservation organization, is one of the primary plaintiffs in this case, which also targets fishery management councils in the Pacific Ocean, northeast Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico.
"The Sustainable Fisheries Act mandates that fishery management councils must evaluate and minimize adverse impacts of fishing gears to habitat that has been declared essential for fish," says Alexander Stone of ReefKeeper International. "The U.S. Caribbean Council has failed to meet this objective. By approving the Council's deficient plan, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is condoning this inaction."
The lawsuit alleges that the U.S. Caribbean Council has failed to identify the harm that fishing gears such as fish traps and nets can do to coral reefs and seagrass beds. In its approval of the decisions made by the Council, NMFS stated that the Council did not have sufficient time to complete a detailed analysis of any measures that would place limits on fishing gears. However, NMFS failed to establish any requirement or timetable for the Council to complete those analyses.
"It doesn't take a long scientific study to determine that dropping a trap weighing more than forty pounds on top of a coral head will damage the coral," states Mr. Stone. "The Council should have prohibited activities of this kind based upon common sense. A lawsuit is always the last resort but the protection of these habitats is essential for rebuilding depleted fish stocks, maintaining sustainable fisheries, and securing a healthy coral reef ecosystem for generations to come."
| A copy of ReefKeeper International's request to the U.S. Caribbean Council to protect essential fish habitat is available by writing ReefKeeper International, 2809 Bird Avenue - Suite 162, Miami, FL 33133, or e-mailing [email protected]. |
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ReefKeeper International, the non-profit coral reef conservation organization, has formally requested that the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) protect an aggregation of spawning tiger groupers from fishing. The tiger grouper spawning aggregation off the southeast coast of Puerto Rico, approximately 5.5 miles east of Vieques Island in territorial waters, was first discovered by a local diver in the 1980s. Located at a promontory of a deep reef known locally as El Seco, tiger grouper can be seen aggregating from 2-8 days after the full moon from January to April. In conjunction with the request to DNER, ReefKeeper International has launched a campaign to promote public awareness and grassroots support for this proposal.
"We have requested that fishing be prohibited in this location during the spawning season, " states ReefKeeper International's director Alexander Stone. "This action will prevent the elimination of this spawning aggregation, ensure that a sufficient number of males are present to produce future generations, and rebuild tiger grouper populations."
Spawning aggregations represent a large concentration of fish over a small area for the express purpose of reproduction. Many reef fish species only reproduce when aggregated during a very narrow period of time.
There is considerable evidence that unprotected spawning aggregation can -- and have been -- fished out of existence. The risks to spawning aggregations are greatest for stocks which are already overfished. Based on anecdotal reports by fishers as well as the expert opinions of many scientists, groupers and snappers are overfished in waters off Puerto Rico. Very few of these animals are seen outside of these spawning aggregations.
Tiger groupers , like many other groupers, undergo sex reversal. Smaller individuals are female and larger individuals are male. 1998 data indicates that almost all fish caught from the El Seco aggregation were the more aggressive males. Continued or increased fishing may cause the males in the population to decrease to dangerous levels unless efforts are made to protect the them.
"The U.S. Caribbean Fishery Management Council, which has jurisdiction in federal waters from 9 miles to 200 miles from Puerto Rico, has recognized the importance of spawning aggregations and closed three such areas off Puerto Rico as well as three aggregation sites in the U.S. Virgin Islands," says Mr. Stone. "We hope the Puerto Rico DNER follows the Council's example and closes the El Seco tiger grouper spawning aggregation to fishing from January to April."
| To obtain a free copy of the El Seco Tiger Grouper rule request, write ReefKeeper International, 2809 Bird Avenue - Suite 162, Miami, FL 33133, or e-mail [email protected]. |
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Support Needed for No-Fishing
Area in Gulf of Mexico
Conservationists, divers, and fishers alike are being urged by ReefKeeper International, the non-profit coral reef conservation organization, to support a recent Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council vote to establish a marine reserve that will be closed to all reef fish fishing year-round. The reserve now requires final approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service before it becomes reality. Stern opposition is expected from a vocal group of fishers. ReefKeeper International has begun to coordinate grassroots support for this plan and is offering a variety of materials to facilitate voicing that support to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The proposed closed area encompasses approximately 666 nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico northwest of Tampa, Florida. Composed of six contiguous blocks, it straddles the 40 fathom contour in an area known to be favored by gag grouper and other species for spawning. The plan calls for the area to be closed to all reef fish fishing year-round.
"The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has taken a bold step forward," states Alexander Stone, Director of ReefKeeper International. "The proposed closed area will go a long way to protect overfished stocks."
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council approved the establishment of the marine reserve primarily to protect gag grouper. Male gags are in short supply, with the proportion of males in the gag population now hovering around 2-10 percent. The male gag are residents of the offshore waters year round. From January to April, females arrive in the area and gag form mass spawning aggregations to reproduce. Biologists have expressed concern that, unless something dramatic is done to protect male gags year-round, there simply won't be enough males around to mate.
The action proposed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, although directed at gag grouper, will also have other benefits. "Throughout the year, other fish use this area for breeding," states Mr. Stone. "These species will also enjoy the protection from fishing pressure."
The next step for the proposed closed area plan is review by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The public will be given an opportunity to comment directly to the NMFS prior to a final decision being made.
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To be notified of the public comment period and receive information on how to comment, write ReefKeeper International, 2809 Bird Avenue - Suite 162, Miami, FL 33133, e-mail [email protected], or on the web at www.reefkeeper.org. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council may also be contacted directly at 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Tampa, FL 33619, or on the web at www.gulfcouncil.org. |
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