International trade · 02/06/2026

NOAA Prohibits Drift Gillnet Fishing off Southern California Coast to Protect Loggerhead Sea Turtles

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is closing the Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area to fishing with large-mesh drift gillnet gear from June 1, 2026, to August 31, 2026, due to warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures and a high probability of El Niño conditions, which threaten Endangered Species Act-listed loggerhead sea turtles.