NJ Scalloping Season Extended

New scallop-fishing regulations issued to save sea turtles

Chain netting draped across sea scallop dredges will be the government's preferred precaution for reducing accidental captures of sea turtles, with a decision this week to abandon seasonal closures that had been used to protect turtles on scallop grounds off New Jersey.

Environmental groups and fishermen alike were surprised by Thursday's decision by the New England Fishery Management Council, which sets rules for the East Coast scallop fishery.

"We know there are turtles in these areas. We should be taking action on the (turtle) hotspots we know," said Gib Brogan of the environmental group Oceana, which advocates such "time and area" closures to reduce contact between migrating turtles and the fishing fleet.

But the National Marine Fisheries Service recommended not closing any areas, now that it requires the use of dredges modified with what fishermen call turtle chains, said Brogan and Patricia Fiorelli, a spokeswoman for the New England council.

"The issue is whether pushing (fishing) effort around is effective. Turtle distributions are very patchy." Fiorelli said. "Last year, there were no takes in the dredge fishery. There were some this year," even with the area closures, she said.

Regulations associated with the federal Endangered Species Act define "take" as any potentially hazardous physical contact with turtles. Researchers working with the scallop industry came up with chain mats across the dredge openings as a way to avoid the accidental capture and drowning of the air-breathing reptiles.

Oceana activists argue that turtles can still be struck and injured by dredges working the sea floor. Seasonal time and area closures on one area called the Elephant Trunk "keeps the gear out of the water while the turtles are there" from late summer until Nov. 1, David Allison of Oceana said in a statement.