The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced recently that they will amend regulations pertaining to West Coast drift gillnet fishery closures during El Nino episodes. The drift gillnet closures protect loggerhead sea turtles, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, within the Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area. The regulation amendments will explain when the closures will occur and what methods NMFS will use to determine and predict El Nino events. Further information about the amendments is available by e-mailing Craig Heberer at NMFS, Craig.Heberer@noaa.gov. Comments pertaining to the regulation amendments should be submitted by 1 March to 0648-AS89.SWR@noaa.gov.