Project to Restore Gulf of Mexico Fish Kicks Off Final Year

After five successful years, NFWF and NOAA are pleased to announce the start of the 2022 Deepwater Horizon Oceanic Fish Restoration Project. Because we expect to meet project restoration and participation goals, the 2022 repose will be the last year of the project. This year features the biggest participation to date: 13 fishermen — five from Florida and eight from Louisiana — are expected to participate.

Project Overview and Goals: Fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico catch targeted pelagic fish, including yellowfin tuna and swordfish, using pelagic longline gear. The average U.S. longline set is 28 miles long and sometimes results in incidental catch (or bycatch) of non-targeted species, such as juvenile fish and sea turtles. Some of this bycatch can perish before the fishing line is hauled back. 

Many pelagic fish in the Gulf of Mexico were injured or killed as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Deepwater Horizon Oceanic Fish Restoration Project, a fisherman-led initiative organized by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has focused on reducing bycatch to help restore pelagic fish affected by the spill. 

Since 2017, about half of the pelagic longline fleet in the Gulf of Mexico has chosen to participate in the temporary project, which has two parts: 

1. Volunteer vessel owners are compensated to refrain from using pelagic longline gear during a repose for six months of the year, which allows fish to grow and reproduce. 
2. During the repose, participants have the option to continue to fish using up to two of three alternative gear types provided by the project: greenstick gear for yellowfin tuna; buoy gear for swordfish and yellowfin tuna; and deep drop rod and reel gear for swordfish.

Pelagic fish are in better shape because of the actions of this fleet. Participating vessel owners have reduced pressure on pelagic fish and are supporting a healthier Gulf of Mexico for generations to come. A restored fishery will allow for a more plentiful catch, and benefit vessel owners and countless others whose livelihoods depend on a healthy Gulf.

Funding: This is one of many projects designed by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to benefit the natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico using funds from the legal settlement with BP.

Project details: From January 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, participants will refrain from using their pelagic longline (PLL) fishing gear in the Gulf of Mexico and will instead fish using alternative gear — buoy, deep drop rod and reel, and greenstick gear. These alternative gear specifically target BAYS tunas (bigeye, albacore, yellowfin, skipjack) and swordfish and result in lower bycatch of other non-target fish species.

The alternative gear portion of the project provides an opportunity for participants to learn and improve their proficiency with new gear types. Participants can assess the alternative gear, at no cost, and be at the forefront of developing strategies to successfully fish utilizing these gear types in the Gulf of Mexico.

Participation in the repose is limited and voluntary — only a portion of the overall Gulf of Mexico pelagic longline fishing fleet (estimated around 30 active vessels) will be selected to participate in any given year. Limiting participation will help to minimize potential impacts to the shoreside economy, and it will ensure that the Gulf of Mexico pelagic longline fishery continues to produce high-quality products for both domestic and international markets. 

Results to date: NOAA collected data from the 2017-2019 project years. This data shows that restoration goals — to reduce fish mortality and help restore more than 60 species of pelagic fish in the Gulf — are being met. Other results: 

• In total, participating vessel owners allowed approximately 23,000 individual pelagic fish (about one million pounds), including 10,600 individual tuna and swordfish, to remain in the water to grow, reproduce, and support future generations of fish. 
• Although alternative gear was found to have lower catch rates than pelagic longline gear, almost 90% of all fish discarded from alternative gear were released alive. 

Furthermore, the fishermen’s participation and testing of gear has helped NOAA and NFWF better understand how the alternative gear works in the fishery and gives fishermen the opportunity to fish with these gear types. 

Review of past project years: https://www.nfwf.org/programs/deepwater-horizon-oceanic-fish-restoration-project/review-project-years

NOAA is authorized under the Oil Pollution Act to conduct the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process as a federal trustee and to carry out restoration efforts. This project is funded through the $1 billion in early restoration funds provided by BP in 2011. This project was included in the fourth phase of early restoration, released in September 2015, and helps to compensate for injuries incurred by pelagic species. The project is tailored to restore resources impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and does not affect existing management practices or regulations. 

For more information, please visit https://www.nfwf.org/programs/deepwater-horizon-oceanic-fish-restoration-project