Goliath Grouper Take a Giant Step
The National Marine Fisheries Service removed goliath grouper from the species of concern list after a recent status report showed a significant increase in abundance to the U.S. population. The stock is still considered overfished under Federal standards, therefore any harvest will remain illegal. www.nmfs.noaa.gov
Salmon Ban Proposed Out West
The National Marine Fisheries Service recommended to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council that Chinook salmon fishing from Oregon to California be closed to both commercial and recreational fishing this season. For the third consecutive year the number of salmon leaving the ocean to spawn in the Klamath River is expected to fall below the required 35,000 minimum. www.pcouncil.org
Florida Protects 13 More Sharks
Effective in March, The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission added 13 shark species to its prohibited harvest. Among the included species are bigeye thresher shark, longfin mako shark and smalltail shark. www.myfwc.com
