Protected Species
Fishermen are required to follow a variety of rules to minimize interactions with protected species. Related resources, news, and links for additional information are listed below.
News | Required Gear | Biological Opinions | Additional Information
News
09/27/2007 | Reminder to all pelagic longline fishermen participating in fisheries for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Listserv Notice |
02/15/2007 | NOAA Fisheries Announces Availability of a Revised List of Approved Dehooking Equipment in the Pelagic and Bottom Longline Fisheries Federal Register Notice | Listserv Notice The list of required gear is provided below. |
Required Gear
- Table 1. NOAA Fisheries Approved Models for Equipment Needed for the Careful Release of Sea Turtles Caught in Hook and Line Fisheries
- NOAA Tech Memo 580: Careful Release Protocols for Sea Turtle Release with Minimal Injury
Sea Turtle Handling/Release Placards*
Marine Mammal Handling/Release Placard*
- Pelagic Longline Gear (English)
- Pelagic Longline Gear (Vietnamese)
* Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Handling/Release placards are required to be posted in the wheelhouse of certain commercial fishing vessels. For more information, please see the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations regarding the sea turtle placard regulations and the marine mammal placard regulations.
Biological Opinions
- December 12, 2012: HMS Biological Opinion (BiOp) regarding interactions with endangered species
- June 1, 2004: HMS BiOp regarding interactions with endangered species
- June 14, 2001: HMS BiOp regarding interactions with endangered species
Additional Information
- HMS Workshops: Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops
- Turtle Release Training Video
- Circle &“J” Hooks and “Drop-Back Time”: A Comparative Hook Performance Study of the South Florida Recreational Live Bait Fishery for Sailfish – Presentation by E. D. Prince, D. Snodgrass, E. S. Orbesen, J. Schratwieser, & J. E. Serafy
- Final Environmental Impact Statement to reduce sea turtle bycatch and bycatch mortality in HMS fisheries, July 2002