Environmental Assessment for Amendment 2 to the Fishery Management Plans for Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John: Trawl, Net Gear, and Descending Devices

The proposed action would prohibit the use of trawl nets, purse seines, and trammel nets for all fishing in federal waters around Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John, prohibit the use of gillnets for all fishing except for the use of surface gillnets that meet specified requirements for the harvest of non-federally managed fish species in federal waters around Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John, and require that descending devices are available and ready for use when fishing for reef fish species managed by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council in federal waters around the U.S. Caribbean.