Name: Coral Amendment - Final Council Preferred Alternatives (pending NMFS approval, rulemaking)
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Description: Deep-sea corals are fragile, slow-growing organisms that play an important role in the marine ecosystem including as habitat for managed fishery species. Corals are vulnerable to various types of disturbance of the seafloor. This amendment is being developed to identify management areas where deep-sea corals occur, and restrict the use of particular types of fishing gears in those areas to preserve and protect these coral habitats. This amendment contains alternatives that aim to identify and protect concentrations of corals in select areas and restrict the expansion of fishing effort into areas where corals are likely to be present. The Council is developing this management plan amendment utilizing its discretionary authority under section 303(b) in MSA.
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Copyright Text: New England Fishery Management Council, 2018. For questions contact Michelle Bachman, mbachman@nefmc.org