A ruling last week from a federal panel that regulates fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Fishermen's Association, will regulate the use of longlines used to catch grouper, which have been harmful to loggerhead sea turtles. Yet, both sides are still not happy.
Longlines are miles and miles of metal cable with thousands of baited hooks that stretch across the bottom of the ocean where fishermen hope to catch grouper, but in several cases, turtles get caught on the hooks and usually end up drowning before the lines are pulled to the surface. Roy Crabtree, Southeast regional administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says that more sea turtles die than people know of, he estimates about 600 a year die from longlines.
The ruling will limit the number of boats that are allowed to use the longlines and some areas between Texas and Florida are being closed off to longline fishing. The environmental side of this fight wants more to be done and believes this ruling is just a start for better things to come. Unforunately, the fishing industry is equally upset about the ruling because it limits the areas they can fish and without using the longlines, they'll have to use vertical lines, which could possibly lead to catching less grouper at a time.
I think it's interesting that the ruling was made by a Fishermen's Association, instead of a neutral party for both sides. I have a feeling if a no longlining fishing at all ruling was made by a environmental group, fishermen wouldn't stand for it. But, even though it may be a biased organization, at least it's something. Hopefully the Fishermen's Association is genuially concerned about the protection of the loggerhead sea turtles and continues the trend of saving them from fishing.
This story was found at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/science/earth/19turtle.html?ref=earth
