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July 14, 2009
Protection of sea turtles threatens flounder gill net fishery
By SUSAN WEST
If
new flounder gill net regulations in Carteret and Onslow counties
don’t prevent the incidental capture of endangered or threatened
sea turtles in fishing nets, the federal government could shut down the
fishery under the Endangered Species Act.
“By implementing these new measures, the state is trying to
maintain protections for threatened and endangered sea turtles while
continuing a traditional flounder fishery,” said Louis Daniel,
director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).
The new regulations that went into effect this week reduce the amount
of large mesh gill net fishermen can use from a total of 3,000 to 1,000
yards per operation, eliminate tie-downs and continuous lines of net,
limit each net to 200 yards in length and 15 meshes in depth, and
require at least 25 yards between sets.
The regulations apply to Core Sound, Back Sound, and the waters around Hammocks Beach State Park.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) observers recorded the
“take,” or accidental capture, of 11 sea turtles on 5
fishing trips in Core Sound in June. Most of the interactions were
non-lethal, but one green turtle and one loggerhead were confirmed
dead. The status of another green turtle and one Kemp’s
ridley was listed as “unknown, but likely dead.”
“Takes” of endangered sea turtles are illegal under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA), unless the state manages a fishery under
an ESA Section 10 Permit.
“If we didn’t act quickly, NMFS would shut down the fishery,” Daniel explained.
He said the state also would apply for a Section 10 Permit for the Core
Sound fishery, but cautioned that that would be a lengthy process.
Shallow-water flounder gill nets in Pamlico Sound have been managed
since 2000 by DMF under an ESA permit. Fishermen obtain a special
permit from the state that includes gear restrictions and requires
fishermen to file weekly reports and carry observers on their boats.
The permit allows a specific number of captures for each turtle
species. When the limit for any one species is met, the entire
fishery is closed.
The new Core Sound rules will remain in effect until the end of August,
but could be extended or strengthened if captures continue.
Daniel said federal and state observers on fishing boats would continue to record sea turtle interactions.
“If we see additional takes, we may have to do something more
restrictive. And, if takes continue, the fishery could be completely
closed,” he said.
He said the new gear restrictions would reduce southern flounder catches.
“The regulations will have a significant impact on the harvest of
southern flounder in the areas where the restrictions are in
place,” Daniel said.
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