Starting in February, NOAA Fisheries will enact a ban prohibiting port access for all Mexican fishing boats that operate in the Gulf of Mexico.
The federal agency said in a statement that the move, which will become effective Monday, 7 February, comes as the U.S. issued a “negative certification” against its southern neighbor for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in a report to Congress last August. American officials noted that they made the determination in 2019 after making similar determinations in 2015 and 2017.
“These vessels are known to catch finfish stocks that are regulated by the United States, including red snapper, as well as bycatch of protected sea turtles,” the report stated, noting that federal and Texas officials also reported “significant strandings of turtles” on Texas beaches…