Reminder of Mutton Snapper Fishing Closure in Caribbean

The US Caribbean exclusive economic zone consists of those waters extending from the nine nautical mile seaward boundary of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the three nautical mile seaward boundary of the territory of the US Virgin Islands out to 200 nautical miles offshore.

The seasonal closure area is bounded by rhumb lines connecting, in order, the following coordinates:

A 17°37.8' N - 64°53.0' W
B 17°39.0' N - 64°53.0' W
C 17°39.0' N - 64°50.5' W
D 17°38.1' N - 64°50.5' W
E 17°37.8' N - 64°52.5' W
A 17°37.8' N - 64°53.0' W

In addition, anchoring and fishing with pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets or trammel nets is prohibited within the exclusive economic zone portion of the mutton snapper spawning aggregation area year-round.

This action complies with regulations implemented under Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to address required provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and is necessary to protect these resources. The Caribbean Fishery Management Council, in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries, developed the amendment to regulate fishing mortality.