The U.S. government is imposing limits on the number of fish that commercial and recreational fishermen can catch in the waters it controls in the Caribbean, saying previous types of restrictions haven’t protected dwindling populations of dozens of species.
The new limits cover the waters off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and go into effect Monday, angering fishermen who say the restrictions on species including the highly prized spiny lobster and queen conch will endanger their livelihood.
In this photo taken on 7 July 2007, a scuba diver fishes underwater off Cabo Rojo in Puerto Rico. The U.S. government is imposing limits on the number of fish commercial and recreational fishermen can catch in the waters it controls in the Caribbean, angering fishermen who say the restrictions on species including the highly prized spiny lobster and queen conch will endanger their livelihood. The new limits go into effect Monday 30 January.
Federal authorities concede the industry in the territories could lose more than USD 1 million a year. But creating a healthy reef ecosystem is a priority, Roy Crabtree, southeast regional administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said this week.
Click here to read the full story from the Associated Press >
