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This rule would modify the number of hooks a bottom longline vessel could carry on board in the Gulf of Mexico. Amendment 31 to the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish Resources in the Gulf of Mexico, originally implemented in February 2010, limited the number of hooks a bottom longline vessel could carry to 1,000 hooks of which no more than 750 could be fished or rigged to fish at any one time. Industry representatives have indicated that hook loss due to shark bites has increased over time observer data has also shown an increase in the number of hooks lost per trip since 2010. As recommended recently by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, this rule would remove the cap on the number of hooks per vessel while retaining the limit of 750 hooks that could be fished or rigged to fish.