§1870 Required Possession of Descending Devices

Summary

When people fish for Gulf reef fish from a commercial or recreational boat in the Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone, they must have a venting tool or a descending device on board and ready to use while fishing. This requirement does not change any work by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012, or any approved Natural Resources Damage Assessment Trustee projects that reduce deaths from barotrauma in Gulf reef fish recreational fisheries. Descending device: a tool that returns a fish to a depth where it can recover, such as a weighted hook, lip clamp, box, or another approved device, and that can release the fish automatically, by the operator, or let the fish escape. Venting tool: the tool defined by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Gulf reef fish: fish listed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in the Reef Fishery Management Plan.