Caribbean Closed Area Coordinates

Fishing with pots, traps, bottom longlines, gillnets or trammel nets is prohibited year-round in the following closed areas:

• Lang Bank red hind spawning aggregation area, east of St. Croix, bounded by rhumb lines connecting, in order, the following coordinates:

  A 17°50.2’ N   64°27.9’ W
  B 17°50.1’ N   64°26.1’ W
  C 17°49.2’ N   64°25.8’ W
  D 17°48.6’ N   64°25.8’ W
  E 17°48.1’ N   64°26.1’ W
  F 17°47.5’ N   64°26.9’ W
  A 17°50.2’ N   64°27.9’ W

   

• Bajo de Sico

  A 18°15.7’ N   67°26.4’ W
  B 18°15.7’ N   67°23.2’ W
  C 18°12.7’ N   67°23.2’ W
  D 18°12.7’ N   67°26.4’ W
  A 18°15.7’ N   67°26.4’ W

   

• Tourmaline Bank

  A 18°11.2’ N   67°22.4’ W
  B 18°11.2’ N   67°19.2’ W
  C 18°08.2’ N   67°19.2’ W
  D 18°08.2’ N   67°22.4’ W
  A 18°11.2’ N   67°22.4’ W

   

• Abrir La Sierra Bank
  

A 18°06.5’ N   67°26.9’ W
B 18°06.5’ N   67°23.9’ W
C 18°03.5’ N   6723.9’ W
D 18°03.5’ N   67°26.9’ W
A 18°06.5’ N   67°26.9’ W

 

• Mutton snapper spawning aggregation area

  A 17°37.8’ N   64°53.0’ W
  B 17°39.0’ N   64°53.0’ W
  C 17°39.0’ N   64°50.5’ W
  D 17°38.1’ N   64°50.5’ W
  E 17°37.8’ N   64°52.5’ W
  A 17°37.8’ N   64°53.0’ W

   

• The Grammanik Bank closed area

  A 18°11.898' N   64°56.328' W
  B 18°11.645' N   64°56.225' W
  C 18°11.058' N   64°57.810' W
  D 18°11.311' N   64°57.913' W
  A 18°11.898' N   64°56.328' W

   

Additionally, fishing for any species and anchoring activities by fishing vessels within the Hind Bank Marine Conservation District (MCD) is prohibited year round:

• Hind Bank MCD, south of St. Thomas, is bounded by rhumb lines connecting, in order, the following coordinates:

  A 18°13.2’ N   65°06.0’ W
  B 18°13.2’ N   64°59.0’ W
  C 18°11.8’ N   64°59.0’ W
  D 18°10.7’ N   65°06.0’ W
  A 18°13.2’ N   65°06.0’ W

   

Please Note: This summary is intended to provide appropriate information to fishers about regulations and the sustainable use of marine fishery resources in the Caribbean.  This summary is for general information purposes. Fishery Regulations are subject to changes. For more information on fishery regulations consult the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 622 or the NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office Fishery Regulation website.