A federal fishery management council has rejected a proposal that would have brought back fish traps in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council on Thursday removed the proposal to reinstate fish traps as a form of allowed fishing gear from a fishery amendment designed to control grouper and snapper fishing in the gulf. The proposal was heavily opposed by both fishermen and conservationists.

"I think that -- with all the other extremely restrictive fisheries regulations being initiated this year -- for the Gulf Council to even consider reintroducing a gear type as destructive and controversial as fish traps were would not be wise," Lower Keys commercial fisherman and conservationist Don DeMaria said. "I am still amazed the fish trap option got as far as it did with the Gulf Council. Hopefully, something was learned this time around and the fish trap will not rear its ugly head again."

Fish traps catch all kinds of fish, many not targeted by fishermen, that die as they are brought to the surface, including angelfish, surgeonfish and other fish important to keeping reefs healthy, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Regional Administrator Billy Causey said.

"Fish traps are not selective," Causey said. "Anything that gets in there is going to be brought to the surface and is going to die. Everything that gets in there is lost. ... Fish traps are overly effective."

Late last year, long-liners off Central and Northern Florida proposed bringing back fish traps after federal fishery managers instituted tighter restrictions and new rules that push them into deeper waters to avoid accidentally catching sea turtles. Rules imposed in August cut in half the number of long-line boats with reef fish permits from about 120 to 60, and require fishermen to fish in waters deeper than 35 fathoms from June to August, instead of 20 fathoms the rest of the year.

The rules apply only to large-operation long-liners whose annual landings averaged 40,000 pounds between 1999 and 2007.

To remove the threat to turtles, commercial long-line fishermen proposed catching fish with fish traps.

The Gulf Council banned placing new fish traps in 1987 and phased out existing traps over a 10-year period. The South Atlantic Fishery Council outlawed traps in 1988, banning them in the ocean's federal waters 3 miles off the coast between North Carolina and Florida. One exception are small traps for black sea bass, mainly off the Carolinas.

The Florida Legislature banned traps in state waters in 1980, but allows traps for small bait and shellfish.

tohara@keysnews.com