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May 23, 2008
DPNR TO ENACT IMMEDIATE ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROHIBITION ON GILL AND TRAMMEL NETS FOR THE CAPTURE OF REEF FISH The Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) announced Friday that, after careful review of the status of the Territory’s fisheries and the Virgin Islands fishery regulations, the prohibition of the use of gill and trammel nets for reef fish species will be strictly enforced. The regulation banning the use of gill and trammel nets was signed by former Governor Charles W. Turnbull, as an amendment to the U.S. Virgin Islands Commercial Fishing Regulations on July 5, 2006, which also included several species-specific seasonal closures during peak spawning periods, a prohibition on the harvest of Nassau grouper, a prohibition of filleting fish at sea and a prohibition on the use of gill and trammel nets to catch reef fish (predominately parrotfish). Net buy-back funds, provided by a grant from the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will be available to those fishermen who meet the buy-back criteria, as established by the Fisheries Advisory Committees. DPNR Commissioner Robert Mathes said, “The Government of the Virgin Islands, working in partnership with the Caribbean Fishery Management Council and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service to achieve sustainable management of marine resources in the U.S. Caribbean, has agreed to take proactive steps to reduce fishing mortality for several species and species groups identified as being at risk of overfishing. Compatible regulations are an initial step to help conserve and manage our fisheries resources and enable fisheries enforcement. Because our fishable waters and resources are more limited than other areas, we must be ever vigilant to ensure that these resources are available for Virgin Islanders both now and in the future.” Governor John P. deJongh Jr. said that after discussions with the DPNR Commissioner and other members of the fishing industry, it became quite clear that the prohibition of such fishing needs to be enforced more stringently. “I met with representatives of those fishermen who would be negatively impacted by the ban but felt that the long-term impact on the overall fishing resources required that we move forward with the ban. Additionally, I will continue to work with the fishermen and the local industry on how best to strike a balance over the impact of the ban while ensuring their continuing livelihood.” A prohibition on the use of gill and trammel nets in the territory was recommended by the Fisheries Advisory Committees in St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John Districts in 2004 due to the high catch rates of herbivorous reef fish, rates of bycatch (undesirable and undersized reef fish), incidental take of endangered sea turtles, habitat damage, reduction in parrotfish stock abundance and potential ecological consequences of large-scale parrotfish removal to the coral reef ecosystem. For additional information, please contact Carlos Farchette, Director, Division of Environmental Enforcement, at (340) 773-5774. |
