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Article: NMFS moves to lessen gillnet impact on turtles: restrictions target monkfish fleet's twine. (Gulf/South Atlantic).(National Marine Fisheries Service)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- National Fisherman
- Article date:
- March 1, 2003
- Author:
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To protect migrating sea turtles, NMFS recently implemented gillnetting restrictions upon large mesh gillnets in federal Atlantic waters.
The closure is targeting nets larger than eight inches used by monkfish gillnetters. Sea turtles have difficulty seeing large mesh nets and sometimes become entangled and drown.
In the last several years, high mortality in sea turtles off Virginia and North Carolina has occurred, especially where nets are set near temperature fronts, areas where sea turtles also tend to congregate. According to NMFS, the large-mesh monkfish net "poses a major threat--to sea turtles.
In 2000 an emergency measure banned ...