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News  Protected Species Update

12/23/2022
  • Division of Marine Fisheries

The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team met in late November and early December to assist NOAA Fisheries in developing additional conservation measures for right whales. The goal is to reduce entanglement risk to right whales by 88 to 93% coastwide in the lobster, gillnet, and other trap fisheries relative to a 2017 baseline (known as Phase 2). The September 2021 modifications to the Take Reduction Plan (Phase 1) achieved a 47% risk reduction coastwide for the lobster and Jonah crab fishery, which represents the vast majority of risk. Concurrent with this federal action, the Division of Marine Fisheries implemented a suite of protected species regulations in 2021 in support of our draft Habitat Conservation Plan for an Incidental Take Permit under the Endangered Species Act. These proactive conservation measures mean that going into Phase 2 deliberations, risk reduction in Massachusetts state waters by trap fisheries is already at 85.8%. The additional risk reduction actions being explored by the Team for coastwide measures include line reduction, effort reduction, weak line, and seasonal closures. A federal judge has recently ordered that NOAA Fisheries must finalize amendments to the Take Reduction Plan by December 2024 that will get serious injury and mortality of right whales to below Potential Biological Removal within 6 months of the rule. The proposed rule will be released in mid-2023 for public comment.

In 2023, DMF will continue its gear removal efforts during the seasonal trap closure in collaboration with law enforcement and commercial fishermen. Ensuring that gear is removed from the water column when right whales are present is vital to preserving the conservation benefits of the gear closure. In addition, we will also be continuing to distribute weak rope and gear marking materials in support of the right whale conservation measures for buoy lines. Dates and locations for those events are still being finalized but will primarily occur in the first half of 2023. DMF will contact permit holders prior to those distribution and outreach events.

By Erin Burke, Protected Species Specialist
 

  • Division of Marine Fisheries 

    The Division of Marine Fisheries manages the state’s commercial and recreational saltwater fisheries and oversees other services that support the marine environment and fishing communities.
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