Sea Turtle Conservation: Restrictions Applicable to Shrimp Trawling Activities; Additional Turtle Excluder Device Requirements Within Certain Fishery Statistical Zones

NMFS is imposing, for a 30-day period, additional restrictions on shrimp trawlers fishing in the Atlantic Area in offshore waters out to 10 nautical miles (nm)(18.5 km) from the COLREGS line, between 30 deg.45' N. lat. and 32 deg.03' N. lat. This area includes nearshore waters in NMFS fishery statistical Zone 31, a small part of the southern portion of statistical Zone 32, [[Page 32122]] and approximately 18 miles (29.0 km) of the northern portion of statistical Zone 30. The restrictions include prohibitions on the use by shrimp trawlers of: soft turtle excluder devices (TEDs); bottom-opening TEDs; webbing flaps that completely cover the escape opening of TEDs; and try nets with a headrope length greater than 12 ft (3.6 m) and footrope length greater than 15 ft (4.5 m), unless the try nets are equipped with approved TEDs other than soft or bottom-opening TEDs. This action is necessary to prevent the continuation of high levels of mortality and strandings of threatened and endangered sea turtles.