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.
SALVAPEJE/ASSIST THE FISH WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS IN 2025!
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, www.caribbeanfmc.com
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