CFMC Updates | December 2025

CFMC UPDATES

DECEMBER 2025

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) newsletter contains activity announcements, facts on various marine species, and valuable information on fishing and the regulations that govern this activity in federal waters around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Photo: Cristina Olán

The year 2025 was the perfect time to launch a comprehensive educational campaign aimed at training fishers in the U.S. Caribbean on the use of the descending device, known locally in Puerto Rico as a "salvapeje.”

The descending device is a tool used to return to the water fish that show signs of barotrauma but that, due to a fishing closure, catch limit, or size restriction, among other reasons, should not be caught. This device helps prevent the fish from remaining floating on the surface and becoming vulnerable to predation.

In Puerto Rico, 17 workshops, 3 orientations in educational and outreach activities, and 2 demonstrations were conducted within the Meros PR project workshops (visit https://www.merospr.com/es for more information about this initiative) were conducted. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, 2 workshops were held in St. Thomas and one workshop in St. Croix, under the name Assist the Fish,

in addition to several informal orientations. More than 1,000 persons have been oriented through these efforts in the U.S. Caribbean.

The descending device requirement is part of a new regulation proposed through Amendment 2 to the IslandBased Fishery Management Plans. This regulation has already been approved, and the descending device requirement will be effective April 1, 2026. Every fisher fishing in federal waters must have a descending device available on board and ready for use.

The workshops will continue to be offered throughout 2026. To coordinate a workshop for your fishing village, association, nautical club, or fishing community, please contact the liaison officers. Contact information is provided below:

Visit our Linktree at https://linktr.ee/caribbeanfmc and go to the "Descending Device" section.

Look for Bajo la luna (Beneath the Moon) today, an illustrated book focused on the care and conservation of marine and coastal resources.

Beneath the Moon immerses us in the story of Tin, a leatherback turtle, and his saltwater companions, the Residents, united in an unprecedented alliance to find a way to communicate with humans. Through subtle signals and unusual behaviors, turtles, fish, and even the smallest marine creatures begin to convey an urgent message. Beaches, once havens of life and beauty, have become minefields of trash. Floating plastics, abandoned nets, and debris of all kinds threaten their existence. This story immerses us in a tale of desperation, unity, and hope, where the cry for help

from marine life finds attentive ears, revealing the urgent need to protect our ocean and its inhabitants. This publication was authored by Tania M. Marrero Rodríguez, illustrated by artist Paco López Mújica, and edited by Diana Martinó and Miguel Rolón The book is available in Spanish at https://issuu.com/caribbeanfmc/docs/bajo la luna. An English version will be available in the near future.