NOAA Fisheries issued a final rule on December 16, 2003, to protect loggerhead sea turtles that follow warmer El Nino currents into Southern California waters and risk becoming entangled in drift gillnet fishing operations. A tropical El Nino event will sometimes cause the waters off Southern California to rise in temperature. Historical data indicates that if such a condition occurs loggerhead sea turtles may enter these warmer waters and risk entanglement where drift gillnetting occurs for thresher shark and swordfish. These regulations will prohibit drift gillnet fishing in United States waters off Southern California east of 120 degrees W longitude (Point Conception to the Mexican border), for the months of June, July, and August during an El Nino year that raises sea surface temperatures off Southern California. For more information, please read the federal register notice implementing these regulations.