Sea Turtle Conservation; Shrimp Trawling Requirements

NMFS issues this rule to allow the use of limited tow times by shrimp trawlers in inshore waters in Alabama as an alternative to the requirement to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs). This area was affected by Hurricane Georges on and about September 27 to 29, 1998. NMFS has been notified by the Director of the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that large amounts of debris in Alabama's bays in the aftermath of the hurricane are causing extraordinary difficulty with the performance of TEDs. NMFS will monitor the situation to ensure there is adequate protection for sea turtles in this area and to determine whether impacts from the hurricane continue to make TED use impracticable.