The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to establish a rule to better protect migratory birds from entanglements with commercial fishing gear.
In a letter sent in February to an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, Jerome Ford, the federal agency’s assistant director for migratory birds, said a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement are in the works for this summer.
In a statement issued in early March, the Center for Biological Diversity said that more than 7,000 seabirds are killed due to interactions with commercial fishing operators. That includes birds getting hooked on longlines and entangled in fishing nets. It also said that the bird population has declined by three billion, or nearly 30 percent, since 1970.
In a petition sent to federal officials in December 2021, the nonprofit conservation group called for a permitting process to establish bycatch limits for birds.
Catherine Kilduff, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity’s Oceans program, said the proposed rule is an important step by the Biden administration.
“Declining seabird populations are a global conservation crisis, so it’s a relief that they may finally get the protections required by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,” Kilduff said in a statement. “Bird bycatch can be minimized and avoided if the Fish and Wildlife Service takes its international conservation commitments seriously.”
Ford said in his letter that the agency indicated it would consider establishing rules regarding bird bycatch last fall when it released an advance notice of proposed rulemaking. That notice included considering a permit process.
Agency officials are reviewing previous public comments as part of their work in drafting the rule and environmental statement. Ford said the agency would consider the Center for Biological Diversity’s petition as part of that work. He that there would also be additional time for stakeholders and interested parties to provide feedback later this year.
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