Gulf Council Recommends Continuing Requirement for Venting Tools or Descending Devices – Outdoor Wire

Report on New Fishery Management Measures and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

New Conservation Mandate for Gulf of America Fisheries

The Gulf Council has approved a final action to institute new conservation requirements for fishing activities within the federal waters of the Gulf of America. These measures are designed to enhance the sustainability of reef fish stocks.

1. Applicability: The regulations apply to both commercial and recreational fishermen targeting reef fish.
2. Requirement: All applicable fishermen must possess a venting tool or a descending device.
3. Condition of Readiness: The required equipment must be rigged and immediately ready for use at all times while fishing.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water

The new regulations directly support the objectives of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

• Alignment with SDG Target 14.4: By mandating the use of tools that reduce release mortality, this action constitutes a science-based management plan to end destructive fishing practices. This helps restore fish stocks to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield.
• Alignment with SDG Target 14.2: The measure contributes to the sustainable management and protection of marine ecosystems. Reducing mortality of non-target or undersized catches strengthens the resilience of reef fish populations and their habitats.
• Enhancing Conservation: The overarching goal of increasing the survival rate of released fish promotes the long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, a core principle of SDG 14.

Regulatory Process and Background

• The approved amendment will be transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for final consideration and implementation.
• These requirements will supersede and replace regulations established by the DESCEND Act, which is set to expire in January 2026.

About the Mandating Authority: The Gulf Council

• The Gulf Council is one of eight regional Fishery Management Councils created by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976.
• The Council’s primary responsibility is the preparation and implementation of fishery management plans to ensure the sustainable use of marine resources within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of America.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• The article is entirely focused on the conservation and sustainable management of marine resources. The new regulation requiring venting tools or descending devices for reef fish is a direct measure to protect marine life. The stated purpose is to reduce fish mortality and ensure the “conservation and sustainability of reef fish stocks,” which is the central theme of SDG 14: “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 14: Life Below Water

1. Target 14.2: “By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.”
   • The article’s focus on reducing the release mortality of reef fish is a specific action aimed at protecting the marine ecosystem in the Gulf of America. By ensuring more fish survive being caught and released, the regulation helps maintain a healthier and more resilient fish population, contributing directly to the sustainable management of this ecosystem.
2. Target 14.4: “By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible…”
   • The requirement for fishermen to use specific equipment (venting tools or descending devices) is a form of regulating harvesting practices. This measure is designed to mitigate the destructive impact of barotrauma on fish that are caught and released. The article explicitly states this will result in “increased conservation and sustainability of reef fish stocks,” which aligns perfectly with the goal of implementing management plans to restore and maintain fish stocks.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Release mortality rate of reef fish: The article directly states that the purpose of the new tools is to “reduce release mortality.” Therefore, a key implied indicator for measuring the success of this regulation would be the change in the mortality rate of reef fish that are caught and subsequently released by commercial and recreational fishermen. A decrease in this rate would indicate progress.
• Sustainability/health of reef fish stocks: The ultimate goal mentioned is the “sustainability of reef fish stocks.” Progress towards this can be measured by scientific stock assessments that evaluate population size, biomass, and age structure of key reef fish species. This aligns with the official SDG indicator 14.4.1 (“Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels”).
• Compliance rate among fishermen: An operational indicator to measure the implementation of the management plan would be the proportion of commercial and recreational fishermen who possess and are prepared to use the required venting tools or descending devices during inspections.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theoutdoorwire.com