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U.S. Port Restrictions on Mexican Fishing Vessels
NOAA Fisheries is announcing port restrictions on all Mexican fishing vessels that fish in the Gulf of Mexico. Effective February 7, 2022, these vessels are prohibited from entering U.S. ports, and will be denied port access and services.
Mexican-flagged vessels participating in Gulf of Mexico fisheries will be denied entry into the navigable waters of the United States, which includes any port, and if such entry occurs will be subject to denial of port privileges.
This action by the United States is a result of Mexico’s identification for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2019 and subsequent negative certification in NOAA Fisheries’ 2021 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries for its continued failure to combat unauthorized fishing activities by small hulled vessels (called lanchas) in U.S. waters. Under the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, nations who fail to address the issues for which they are identified are subsequently negatively certified and then are subject to denial of port privileges.
The United States is committed to working with the Government of Mexico when it takes action to address the issues for which it was identified to re-establish U.S. port privileges for Mexican fishing vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Fishery Bulletins and Notices
Visit NOAA Fisheries' Rules & Regulations directory to learn more about recent federal management actions affecting Atlantic highly migratory species.
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