Bid to save reefs takes a major step
Fishermen groan over ban in Gulf as final OK eyed
Fishing for grouper, snapper and certain other fish would be prohibited across hundreds of miles of coral reef in the Gulf of Mexico under a plan sent Thursday to the federal government aimed at protecting the reefs from further damage.
Members of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council — an entity that governs fishing in the Gulf’s federal waters — voted Thursday to designate 21 sites, or 484 miles of reef, throughout the Gulf as Habitat Areas of Particular Concern
Several of these sites are off the coast of Texas, including a reef south of
Beaumont and two off the coasts of Corpus Christi and Port Mansfield. Fishing is already restricted in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary near Galveston.
At most of the 21 sites, fishing gear, such as traps, anchors, longlines and trawls, would be restricted from use because they can break or smother coral. Trolling and other hook-in-line fishing would still be permitted.
The action is just one of several being taken to protect coral in the Gulf at a time when a quarter of reefs worldwide are considered damaged beyond repair. The plan must still be approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Buddy Guindon, a commercial fisherman who owns Katie’s Seafood Market, said the new restrictions, if approved, would impact the fishing of various types of grouper, snapper and Amberjack, among others.
He said the protections are “overboard” and that it’s becoming harder and harder for people to make a living in the fishing business.
“They’re not just protecting the coral, they’re taking out big square patches of the Gulf of Mexico where we fish,” Guindon said. “We don’t fish on top of the coral, our gear would get hung up on that.”
But Alison Johnson, campaign manager for Oceana Southeast, an international organization focused on ocean conservation and advocacy, praised the decision.
“Deep-sea corals are some of the oldest animals on Earth, living for thousands of years and providing essential functions for marine wildlife like protection from predators and nurseries for young fish,” Johnson said. “These areas also benefit fisheries, providing habitat for many commercially and recreationally valuable types of fish.”
Bottom-tending fishing gear is incredibly destructive, she added, capable of “bulldozing entire ecosystems.”
“These harmful gears can wreak havoc on deep-sea corals, destroying centuries-worth of coral growth in only seconds,” Johnson said. “By protecting coral habitat areas, we are also protecting the larger ocean ecosystem, helping ensure the survival of many other marine animals.”
The council is one of eight U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils established by the 1976 Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Its jurisdiction includes federal waters up to 200 miles off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and the west coast of Florida.
The “areas of particular concern” designation essentially means the council can lay down ways to prevent or mitigate damage to the reefs caused by activities currently allowed by federal and state agencies at the sites, such as oil and gas drilling or, in this case, fishing.
Holly Binns, director of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ efforts to protect ocean life, said she wanted the council members to go even further with their protections.
“Experts have so far identified 47 significant coral hot spots in the Gulf that need safeguards,” Binns said. “The council could eventually extend its coral management plan to cover those.”
About a month before Thursday’s action, a group of stakeholders sent to the Trump administration for approval a proposal to expand the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a network of federally protected coral reef systems about 100 miles off the coast of Galveston.
That proposal, which is awaiting approval, would expand the sanctuary to 206 square miles, or 17 banks, from 56 square miles, or three banks.
The Flower Garden Banks is one of 13 federally designated underwater areas protected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.