In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, commercial fish species in the Gulf of America were significantly impacted. The Oceanic Fish Restoration Project, part of NOAA’s restoration efforts after the spill, partnered with the pelagic longline fishing community to help rebuild robust fisheries in the Gulf.
The Unique Challenges of Restoring Open Ocean Fisheries
For commercial fishermen, the spill halted their business instantly. The plume of oil, and other chemicals, exposed fish at all life stages to toxic levels of contaminants.
It also happened at the worst possible time for some fish: spawning season. Eggs, embryos, and larvae were all especially vulnerable to the impacts of oil and other contaminants. Unable to mature and reproduce, another generation of fish was lost. As Captain Ally Mercier in Pompano Beach, Florida said, after the spill, “the water was so polluted… there was [sic] just no fish.”
Restoration in the deep waters away from coastlines presents a unique challenge. “We can’t just replant fish,” explains Ellen Bolen, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Director of Marine and Coastal Restoration. NFWF is a partner in the project.
The Gulf’s pelagic longline fishery is made up of around 30 vessels along the coast from Texas to Florida. They use longline gear in the open ocean to catch fish like yellowfin tuna, swordfish, and mahi mahi, supplying seafood to the Gulf region and beyond. But longlines often catch juveniles with no commercial value and when caught, young fish typically don’t survive. Reducing this bycatch and increasing survivability rates were the key to replenishing these species.
Rebuilding robust oceanic fish populations would require keeping juveniles in the water longer—and giving them time to reproduce—all the while continuing to support the fishing industry.
Partnering with Industry to Develop a Plan
To help reduce bycatch and support open ocean fisheries, NOAA and partners focused on using a different type of fishing gear. The gear would still catch what the fishermen were after, but would also greatly reduce the number of juvenile fish killed in the process.
To understand more about the fishing community—who they were, how their fishery operated, and what their needs were—the project team connected directly with community members.
Sandy Nguyen came aboard as a critical partner and the project’s first community liaison. She encouraged the fishing community to apply to participate and supported them through the administrative process of coming on board.
Rebuilding pelagic fish populations was a goal shared by federal and state agencies, fishermen, surrounding communities, and more. As the project came to life, another community liaison joined: Bobby Nguyen. “Everybody that’s connected to this project is hoping to give a fighting chance for these fish to come back,” he said.
Informed by the perspectives of the fishing community, a plan emerged. There would be two components for the project, all entirely voluntary. One, a 6-month pause on the use of longline gear. Two, the option to use alternative gear at no cost that, while less efficient than longlines, reduces bycatch and increases survival rates of any bycatch that occurs. Both of which would put less pressure on the pelagic fish species. Fishermen that participated in the pause, or “repose,” would be compensated for lost income. Those who opted to use alternative gear could sell anything they caught.
From the Beginning, Project Adapts to Fishermen’s Needs
As the pilot season of the Oceanic Fish Restoration Project kicked off, seven Louisiana fishermen volunteered to pause longline fishing. All of them opted to use alternative gear like greenstick and buoy gear to continue fishing during the pause.
Captain Gary Gutherie said, “I’m participating because fishing is my life. As a kid I always wanted to be a boat captain. It’s something I really love and believe in.”
Through the pilot, the project team tested the format and gathered feedback. With this input, they adjusted things like the pricing structure, payment frequency, and alternative gear options before full implementation began.
With a revised plan, the first official 6-month repose began in 2018. Ten fishermen across Louisiana and Florida participated, 9 of which accepted alternative gear.
The team kept in regular communication with the fishermen and community liaisons throughout the process. “Local community liaisons played critical parts in this project’s success,” said NFWF’s Bolen. “The liaisons worked with participants to gain insight about what was working and what could be improved, and NOAA continually modified and enhanced the project based on this feedback.”
Fish Return to the Gulf
By its last year, about half of the pelagic longline fishery participated in the project. Monitoring shows that it exceeded its goals every year and bycatch was significantly reduced. In the end, more than 40,000 fish across 60 species were left in the water. And, there was a 90 percent survival rate for any fish bycatch that occurred. The fish had the time they needed to mature and replenish the population. While speaking about the project, Gutherie said “the goal is to help rebuild the stocks. And it has. I can see that when I go out there.”
WATCH: Hear what fishermen had to say about participating in the Oceanic Fish Restoration Project, and learn about other preliminary results from the effort.
Success Hinged on Fishery Partnerships
Two years after the project ended, Sandy Nguyen spoke at a public NOAA Highly Migratory Species panel: “I wanted you guys to understand what [this project] did for our fleet, it made them feel included for the first time. They planned it with NOAA from day one.” She added that “engaging these folks is really important…that project was the first one ever done that I've seen in our community, for the 36 years that I've been servicing the industry.”
Since the end of the project, some fishermen have continued the use of alternative gear to further reduce bycatch. The project gave them the opportunity to try new gear for free, get the support they needed to adapt their vessels, and be trained on the best way to use it. Guthrie added, “I absolutely appreciate being in this program. It’s a blessing for me because I’m learning a lot more about a different type of fishery. And I’m making a difference by getting out of the longlining phase of it. Not bringing fish to the dock, helping the stocks recover.”
The voluntary nature of the project was a key component. Captain Jimmy Nguyen reflected on his participation and said “this project was created for us.”
NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Habitat Resource Specialist and Project Manager Amy Piko sees this as a model for future projects. She noted, "it’s wonderful to know that the fleet felt heard and supported throughout this process. We really did prioritize their needs in order to make it work for everyone, which wouldn’t have been possible without their active participation, input, and feedback. Seeing how successful it’s been also demonstrated why partnerships are so important in restoration.”
