Sea Turtle Conservation; Shrimp Trawling Requirements

NMFS issues this rule to allow the use of limited tow times by shrimp trawlers in the inshore waters of Mississippi and in the inshore waters of Louisiana, north and east of the Mississippi River to its terminus at the South Pass, 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 Mississippi Department of Marine Resources that large amounts of debris in Mississippi Sound in the aftermath of the hurricane are causing difficulty with the performance of TEDs. NMFS has been notified by the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries that his department had received documentation that hurricane-related debris was interfering with TED performance in their shrimping grounds east of the river. 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.