US to Close Gulf Ports to Mexican Fishing Boats for Poaching 
US Source: Associated Press 1/12/2022

The U.S. government will prevent Mexican fishing vessels from entering U.S. ports on the Gulf of Mexico, arguing the Mexican government has not done enough to prevent its boats from illegally fishing in U.S. waters.

Starting Feb. 7, Mexican fishing boats in the Gulf “are prohibited from entering U.S. ports, will be denied port access and services,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wrote in a report made public Wednesday.
 

The move caps a years-long problem with U.S. efforts to protect valuable red snapper stocks along its Gulf shores.

Small Mexican boats frequently use prohibited long lines or nets to haul in snapper in U.S. waters, and then sometimes apparently even sell it back to U.S. customers. Such nets and lines can indiscriminately trap marine life.

The NOAA report slammed Mexico for “its continued failure to combat unauthorized fishing activities by small hulled vessels (called lanchas) in U.S. waters.”

 
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