HLA requests that NMFS remove the MHI insular and NWHI stocks of false killer whales from the list of species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category I Hawaii deep-set longline fishery. In a joint statement the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's . . Pacific white-sided dolphin, North Pacific. At this time, we consider it appropriate to retain North Atlantic right whales as a species listed as driving the classification of the Northeast/mid-Atlantic lobster trap/pot fishery given that PBR is 0.8 and the further detail provided below, which reiterates responses provided in the 2020 Final LOF (85 FR 21079, April 16, 2020). Lyman. The LOF for 2021 was based on, among other things, stranding data; fishermen self-reports; and SARs, primarily the 2019 SARs, which are based on data from 2013-2017. West Coast Region 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100 PORTLAND, OREGON 97232-1274 . 1999. Conserving at-risk habitats contributes to ecosystem resilience. Some species are long-lived, with life spans exceeding 30 years. Bottlenose dolphin, Central FL coastal. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system. Bottlenose dolphin, unknown (Southern migratory coastal or Southern NC estuarine system). The Commission notes that is more difficult to address the harbor porpoise M/SI in Category II Yakutat salmon set gillnet because there is a geographical disconnect between where observer data was collected and the population surveys were conducted. Unfortunately, this also means that they may get hooked or entangled in fishing gear, especially in longline fisheries. While every effort has been made to ensure that Federal Register issue. Most species are coastwide stocks. The list of species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured includes serious and non-serious documented injuries as described later in the List of Species and/or Stocks Incidentally Killed or Injured in the Pacific Ocean and List of Species and/or Stocks Incidentally Killed or Injured in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean sections. NMFS and the U.S. Bradford, A.L., E.M. Oleson, R.W. TRP regulations are found at 50 CFR 229.30 through 229.37. Species diversity is part of the natural legacy we leave for future generations. Most individual species tend to localize by depth more than latitude. There are no current data on interactions with pantropical dolphins (or other dolphin species) in any other Pacific Ocean commercial troll fisheries. Comment 2: FLC recommends NMFS reclassify the AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Pacific cod longline fishery from a Category II to Category III. Dahlheim, B.S. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl.^, Southeastern, U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico stone crab trap/pot.^, False Killer Whale Take Reduction Plan (FKWTRP), Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan (HPTRP), Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan (PLTRP). Bradford A.L. Results of the study indicated that there is a high frequency of associations between troll and rod and reel fishing, and pantropical spotted dolphins, and in particular with the Hawaii Island stock. Northeast/Mid-Atlantic bottom longline/hook-and-line, Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic tuna, shark, swordfish hook-and-line/harpoon, Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean snapper-grouper and other reef fish bottom longline/hook-and-line, Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico shark bottom longline/hook-and-line. Document Drafting Handbook Portland, Oregon 97208-2946 . Video and sensor data is reviewed after the trip to determine fishing locations and quantify discards. Additionally, no data is currently available to suggest state fisheries should be separated from the Category I Northeast sink gillnet fishery, therefore NMFS retains the Category I classification for the Northeast sink gillnet fishery. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-AFSC-355. The Operations, Management, and Information Services Division supports West Coast Region operations through budget planning, formulation, and execution; human resources management (including Equal Employment Opportunity and diversity); oversight of administrative processes; management of information, information technology, and communications systems; and management of environmental compliance, travel, facilities, safety, and property. They state that the M/SI should be distributed between stocks based on the relative proportion of the population of the two stocks combined. Regulatory Branch Chief U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . Vessels fishing for Pacific hake, shown here, sometimes inadvertently catch salmon in the wintertime fishery. The mentioned study, (Baird and Webster, 2020) presented findings on the magnitude and nature of associations between fishing vessels and pantropical spotted dolphin stocks. Western Pacific Pelagic (HI Deep-set component)*^. The HI shallow-set longline fishery has 100 percent observer coverage and therefore, the Central North Pacific stock of humpback whale stock should be removed the list of species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category II HI shallow-set longline fishery. Should major changes to lobster gear and fishing practices be required and implemented for all Massachusetts state lobster fishing gear, making this gear unique and easily identified from other state and Federal gear, NMFS will re-evaluate the status of this fishery and consider it in a future proposed LOF. Comments were received from members of the public, Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen's Association (AOLA), Freezer Longline Coalition (FLC), Hawaii Longline Association (HLA), Maine Lobstermen's Association (MLA), Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF), Marine Mammal Commission (Commission) and Whale Safe USA. documents in the last year, 122 Under Section 4(f)(1)(B), to the maximum . The fishery is also split into two groups based on whether vessels are required to hold a federal limited entry permit to participate or whether they fish without a federal permit in the open access fishery. However, the current implemented measures are not enough to suggest Massachusetts's state waters lobster trap/pot fishery should be split from the Category I Northeast/mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery. Multiple states participate in the Northeast/mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery, using a wide variety of gear and gear configurations throughout a large portion of coastal waters. These markup elements allow the user to see how the document follows the Prior to that she was the Division Manager and Operations & Policy Branch Chief in the California Coastal Office. Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Bottlenose dolphin, Mississippi River Delta. However, there have been a number of life-threatening entanglements since 2010 that have resulted in a non-serious injury due to disentanglement intervention. Eulachon bycatch in the groundfish fishery appears to be driven by both eulachon distribution and cyclic abundance. Our ESA program supports a national focus on species needing immediate action to prevent extinction and species with identified actions that can be immediately implemented. Some of the populations of each species are protected under the Endangered Species Act. The non-tribal commercial West Coast groundfish fishery consists of a wide variety of vessels using different types of fishing gear. About the Federal Register NMFS is proposing a schedule of RFDs for every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday from July 1, 2023, through November 30, 2023. The catch locations help understand the distribution of salmon in the ocean in winter. Response: NMFS thanks FLC for bringing to our attention that the observer coverage information in the AK BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery fact sheet on NMFS' website needs updating. This killer whale M/SI occurred in 2012, and no additional M/SI have been observed or reported for the 2013-2017 data analysis timeframe for this fishery. The definitions for the fishery classification criteria can be found in the implementing regulations for section 118 of the MMPA (50 CFR 229.2). Under the Endangered Species Act, we develop protections, designate critical habitat, implement recovery, and authorize scientific research permits for threatened and endangered species. Observers collect information on what is caught, whether it is landed or discarded at sea, to estimate bycatch. For example, the State of Hawaii does not issue fishery-specific licenses, and the number of participants reported in the LOF represents the number of commercial marine license holders who reported using a particular fishing gear type/method at least once in a given year, without considering how many times the gear was used. However, Maine lobster gear was not the primary entangling gear in these cases. In the 2020 Final LOF, NMFS' response in part to this comment stated: We recognize that there has only been one confirmed mortality (in 2012) in American lobster gear in the past decade. Fritz, R.C. 333 SW First Avenue . NMFS adds the Mobile Bay, Bonsecour Bay stock of bottlenose dolphin to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category II Gulf of Mexico gillnet fishery. Seabird interactions with the groundfish fishery occur primarily with longline vessels and to a lesser extent with trawl vessels. Additionally, in August 2020, NMFS reopened the Southern Exclusion Zone to Hawaii deep-set longline fishing (85 FR 50959, August 19, 2020). List of Terms, Abbreviations, and Symbols Used in Table 3: CACalifornia; GMXGulf of Mexico; HIHawaii; OROregon; WAWashington; WNAWestern North Atlantic; *Fishery is an extension/component of an existing fishery operating within U.S. waters listed in Table 1 or 2. Category II: Annual mortality and serious injury of a stock in a given fishery is greater than 1 percent and less than 50 percent of the PBR level (i.e., occasional incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals). We work to recover and conserve threatened and endangered marine and anadromous species, as well as manage and conserve marine mammals. Serious injury and mortality determinations for baleen whale stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast, and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2012-2016. Non-trawl (commercial, including limited entry and open access), Specifications of OFL, ABC, ACL, ACT and Fishery HG, Sablefish North of 36 N lat. They note that the estimated annual harbor porpoise M/SI in the SE Alaska salmon drift gillnet fishery included the 2019 SAR is 12 animals which equals PBR for the stock and exceeds the Category I classification threshold of 50 percent of PBR. Bottlenose dolphin, Southern NC estuarine system. We also study the impacts of environmental variability and climate change on marine ecosystems and fishery socioeconomics. This site displays a prototype of a Web 2.0 version of the daily establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned With our partners, we are working on hundreds of projects to protect and restore vital habitat for West Coast fish and wildlife populations. Sharper Picture of Salmon in the Ocean Resets Threshold for Fishing Limits, Coordinated Response Protected Southern Residents From Sunken Ship Leaking Oil, Incidental Take Authorization: NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center Fisheries and Ecosystem Research Activities in the Pacific Ocean (2023-2028), Incidental Take Authorization: San Mateo County Harbor District's Pillar Point Harbor Johnson Pier Expansion and Dock Replacement Project in Princeton, California, Incidental Take Authorization: City of Santa Cruz Murray St. Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project in Santa Cruz, California, 90-Day Finding on the Petition to List Olympic Peninsula Steelhead as a Threatened or Endangered Distinct Population Segment, Regulations to Authorize Deep-set Buoy Gear under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP), Final EIS Available for Public Review: Proposed Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for West Coast Highly Migratory Species Fisheries: Authorization of Deep-set Buoy Gear, Correcting Amendment for West Coast Groundfish 2023-2024 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures, Advance Notice of Electronic Monitoring Regulatory Program, Proposed Regulations to Implement Proposed Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for West Coast Highly Migratory Species Fisheries to Authorize Deep-set Buoy Gear, Notice of Opportunities to Submit Public Comments on 2023 Ocean Salmon Fisheries, Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Funding. The best available scientific information used in the SARs and reviewed for the 2021 LOF generally summarizes data from 2013-2017. (Henry et al., 2019). MMAP certificates issued in 2020 remain in effect, valid through December 31, 2021, for vessel or gear owners participating in all Category I and II fisheries as of the final 2021 LOF. daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial Fishing the Pacific lifts spirits, feeds families and supports the economies of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In 2020, through Amendment 28, over 10,000 square miles of sensitive ocean floor habitats where closed to bottom trawling. electronic version on GPOs govinfo.gov. documents in the last year, 663 on FederalRegister.gov FLC further states that NMFS attributes the single M/SI to both stocks equally. The Arctic region extends from the Bering Strait to the Chukchi. Tier 2: Tier 2 considers fishery-specific mortality and serious injury for a particular stock. We participate in the implementation of numerous international treaties and other agreements to sustainably conserve fisheries for cross-boundary species including highly migratory fish, particularly tuna; whiting; halibut, and salmon; and protect marine mammals of mutual interest to nations of the Pacific. Some of them vary in concentration from north to south, and some are common from the U.S./Canada border to the U.S./Mexico border. NMFS published the final rule to implement harvest specifications and management measures for the 2023-2024 biennium for most species managed under the PCGFMP on December 16, 2022 (87 FR 77007). Jacalen Printz . ^The list of marine mammal species and/or stocks killed or injured in this fishery is identical to the list of marine mammal species and/or stocks killed or injured in U.S. waters component of the fishery, minus species and/or stocks that have geographic ranges exclusively in coastal waters, because the marine mammal species and/or stocks are also found on the high seas and the fishery remains the same on both sides of the EEZ boundary. Partnership Profiles: A Queen Conch Hatchery and the Local Fish Initiative, The NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan (20232028) includes goals and objectives to sustainably develop the aquaculture industry in the United States. This wire mesh, along with the 7/16 inch poly and associated gangions, is consistent with gear used in trap/pot fisheries conducted along the east coast of the U.S. and Canada (NMFS 2010 Large Whale Entanglement Report), which is consistent with some gear fished in exempted waters. However, the evidence presented is not sufficient to draw these conclusions. NMFS is requesting comments on this proposed RFD schedule. Although this likely overestimates the number of active participants in many of these fisheries, the number of valid HSFCA permits is the most reliable data on the potential effort in high seas fisheries at this time. 367 p. National Marine Fisheries Service. For additional information on fishing effort in fisheries found on Table 1 or 2, contact the relevant regional office (contact information included above in Where can I find more information about the LOF and the MMAP? Dahle, M.E. section). on Federal Register. Western Pacific Pelagic (HI Shallow-set component)*^. The West Coast groundfish recreational fisheries are managed by the coastal states with management coordinated in the Pacific Fishery Management Council process. 03/03/2023, 1465 West Coast Region 1201 NE Lloyd Boulevard, Suite 1100 PORTLAND, OR 97232-1274 Refer to NMFS No: WCRO-2021-01232 December 20, 2022 Todd Tillinger Chief, Regulatory Branch U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District 4735 East Marginal Way South, Bldg. The Commission notes the final 2012 LOF (76 FR 73912, November 29, 2011) did not finalize the fishery proposed reclassifications. In addition, MLA alleges, there has been only one right whale entangled in Maine lobster gear in April 2002, and the entanglement was determined to be a non-serious injury. Because there were no data to indicate specific stock or reliable data that could be used to partition the 2012 killer whale M/SI, the M/SI was assigned to both stocks as prescribed by NMFS' Guidelines for Preparing Stock Assessment Reports Pursuant to the 1994 Amendments to the MMPA. They note that this M/SI is assigned to both the resident and transient stocks of killer whales and is outside the 5 year timeframe (2013-2017) of the 2021 LOF. For these fisheries, NMFS will review the other sources of relevant information to determine when it is appropriate to remove a species or stock from the LOF. NMFS also makes changes to the estimated number of vessels/persons and list of species and/or stocks killed or injured in certain fisheries. NMFS adds to the Western North Pacific stock of humpback whale to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category III AK/WA/OR/CA commercial passenger fishing vessel fishery. 1:04. from 36 agencies. In the Mid-Atlantic and New England fisheries, the numbers represent the potential effort for each fishery, given the multiple gear types for which several state permits may allow. The main types of fishing gear include trawls (which can be in the middle of the water column or near the bottom), longlines, fish pots, and other variations of similar gear. In some cases, more recent information may be available and used in the LOF. Fadely, M.C. The LOF fishery fact sheet for the BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery Start Printed Page 3033has an incorrect description for the observer coverage in both the catcher processor and catcher vessel longline sectors. We work with numerous partners and our NOAA Fisheries counterpartsthe Northwest, Pacific Islands and Alaska Fisheries Science Centers and the West Coast Regional Officeto provide sound science for domestic and international management decisions. The West Coast is home to the following endangered or threatened seabird species: Seabirds are attracted to fishing vessels and fishing operationsoffal and bait can be tempting sources of "free food." Comment 9: The Commission recommends that NMFS reclassify the Category III Hawaii troll fishery as a Category II fishery. Bottlenose dolphin, Jacksonville estuarine system. If the total annual mortality and serious injury of a marine mammal stock, across all fisheries, is less than or equal to 10 percent of the PBR level of the stock, all fisheries interacting with the stock will be placed in Category III (unless those fisheries interact with other stock(s) for which total annual mortality and serious injury is greater than 10 percent of PBR). Below are links to learn about a few of our West Coast species. NMFS Office of Protected Resources (OPR) has authorized take of four species of marine mammals which are listed under the ESA, including the North Atlantic right, fin, sei, and sperm whale, and . NOAA Fisheries announces a correcting amendment published today in the Federal Register. The MMPA (16 U.S.C. The commenter cites four cases of unknown entanglements they believe explicitly rule out Maine lobster fisheries from the origin of entanglement. The Public Inspection page You can also see a list of, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal, Climate, Ecosystems & Fisheries Initiative, West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Draft National Seafood Strategy Listening Sessions, Financial Assistance Workshop for Grant Applicants and RecipientsSeattle, Research Surveys in the Pacific Northwest, About the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI), California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (CCIEA), Socio-economics of Eastern Pacific and West Coast Fisheries, California Central Valley Chinook Salmon Life Cycle Modeling, Social-economics of California Salmonid Habitat and Water Resource, Southwest Fisheries Science Center Stock Assessment, Pacific Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports, SWFSC Data on the NOAA Big Data Program (BDP), SWFSC Metadata Library on Fisheries InPort, Ecosystem-based and Dynamic Ocean Management, Dynamic West Coast Sea Surface Temperature Interactive, Puget Sound Salmon and Steelhead Fisheries, Columbia River Basin Salmon and Steelhead Fisheries, West Coast Salmon and Steelhead Fisheries Management, Management Measures/Actions under Tuna Conventions Act, Management Measures/Actions under Magnuson-Stevens Act, NEPA Documents Available for Public Review, Our Work Under the Endangered Species Act, Threatened and Endangered Species on the West Coast, Our Work Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Report Dead, Injured, Stranded, or Entangled Marine Mammals, Share the Shore: Responsible Marine Mammal Viewing, Protected Resources App: Display Spatial Data for ESA-listed Species, Salmon and Steelhead: Status of ESA Listings and Critical Habitat Designations (July 2016), National Overview: Protecting Marine Life, Mitigation Banks, Conservation Banks, and In-Lieu Fee Programs, Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion, Habitat Blueprint - Russian River Habitat Focus Area, Restoration of Salmon and Steelhead Habitat. The fishery fact sheets summarize LOF classification information for the public and we will review and correct this error. On the West Coast, a unique collaboration has formed between fishermen and scientists to more effectively survey groundfish in response to major fisheries closures two decades ago. biennium). Bradford, J. Barlow, D.L. AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Atka mackerel trawl, AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod trawl, AK state-managed waters of Prince William Sound groundfish trawl, AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands sablefish pot, AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands groundfish jig, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands bottomfish, AK Southeast herring roe/food/bait pound net, WA/OR bait shrimp, clam hand, dive, or mechanical collection, OR/CA sea urchin, sea cucumber hand, dive, or mechanical collection, AK/WA/OR/CA commercial passenger fishing vessel. How do I find out if a specific fishery is in Category I, II, or III? West Coast Region . Given the additional regulatory requirements for Category I and II fisheries, NMFS uses known M/SI that can be attributed to a specific fishery for LOF analysis. NMFS removes the Alaska stock of ringed seal from the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category II AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod longline fishery. developer tools pages. POC is Gary Rule, NMFS West Coast Region, at gary.rule@noaa.gov, (503) 230-5424. In Tables 1 and 2, NMFS has designated those species/stocks driving a fishery's classification (i.e., the fishery is classified based on mortalities and serious injuries of a marine mammal stock that are greater than or equal to 50 percent (Category I), or greater than 1 percent and less than 50 percent (Category II), of a stock's PBR) by a 1 after the stock's name. 01/13/2021 at 8:45 am. These are intended to either minimize the bycatch of overfished groundfish species or to protect groundfish habitat. Baird, R.W., and D.L. Additional details regarding how the categories were determined are provided in the preamble to the final rule implementing section 118 of the MMPA (60 FR 45086; August 30, 1995). The sample size of recovered gear from entanglements is small and much of the retrieved gear is unmarked and cannot be attributed to a particular location. NMFS will continue to annually evaluate marine mammal interactions and risk posed by a variety of gear types and fisheries through the LOF process. Where can I find more information about the LOF and the MMAP? To ensure ESA compliance for the issuance of IHAs, NMFS consults internally whenever we propose to authorize take for endangered or threatened species. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX oceanic. NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100 . Based on the findings from the The SARs are based on the best scientific information available at the time of preparation, including the level of mortality and serious injury of marine mammals that occurs incidental to commercial fishery operations and the PBR levels of marine mammal stocks. the timing of BAT evacuation occurred during the known window of parturition for both species in the region based on the occurrence of neonates (25; 15). Harbor seal, Prince William Sound. The portfolio effect plays a critical role in population productivity and stability. Limited Entry Trawl North of 4010' N Lat. There is a very low amount of eulachon bycatch in West Coast groundfish fisheries. Otherwise, these fisheries are subject to the next tier (Tier 2) of analysis to determine their classification. Learn more about groundfish closed areas on the West Coast. NOAA-NMFS-PIFSC-47, 29 p. Hayes, S.A., Josephson, E., Maze-Foley, K., Rosel, P.E., 2020. We work with partners to manage salmon and steelhead, groundfish, and coastal pelagic species in ocean and inland waters. Zerbini. Boggs, K.A. AOLA requests NMFS incorporate more timely data and recent information into the 2021 LOF. U.S. Mid-Atlantic mixed species stop seine/weir/pound net (except the NC roe mullet stop net), Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic sea scallop dredge, U.S. Mid-Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico oyster dredge, New England and Mid-Atlantic offshore surf clam/quahog dredge, Southeastern U.S. Atlantic haul/beach seine, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean shellfish dive, hand/mechanical collection, Gulf of Maine urchin dive, hand/mechanical collection, Gulf of Mexico, Southeast Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, and Caribbean cast net, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean commercial passenger fishing vessel. The common entangling mechanism of these gear types are the lazy or easy line. AOLA understands that with limited observer coverage and data gaps there is a level of subjectivity into the LOF classification process; however, the process should be equal among fisheries. Therefore, NMFS reclassifies the AK BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery from a Category II to a Category III fishery in this final rule. Am I required to take an observer aboard my vessel? This list includes all species and/or stocks known to be killed or injured in a given fishery, but also includes species and/or stocks for which there are anecdotal records of a mortality or injury. The injury was determined to be non-serious. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX continental shelf. Theseare used to record fishing activity at sea. Salmon bycatch in the groundfish fishery most often occurs with trawl gear. NMFS adds the Aleutian Islands stock of harbor seal to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category III AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Atka mackerel trawl fishery. Killer whale, Eastern North Pacific GOA, BSAI transient. Revised stock boundaries for false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in Hawaiian waters. MA DMF states that they are the only state lobster trap/trap fishery implementing the following actions either currently or in the future: (1) Lobster trap/pot fishery closure from February 1st to April 30th (currently in place for the Massachusetts Bay Restricted Area, proposed closure of all state waters beginning February 1, 2021); (2) dynamic extension of the lobster trap/pot fishery closure to ensure Start Printed Page 3038safe passage of right whales from our waters prior to fixed gear being set (currently in place for the Massachusetts Bay Restricted Area, proposed for all state waters beginning February 1, 2021); (3) ban use of vertical buoy lines greater than 3/8 inch diameter (proposed to begin February 1, 2021); (4) ban fishing single traps by the majority of its active fleet (proposed to begin January 1, 2022); (5) universal requirement of 1,700 pound breaking strength line or equivalent contrivance (proposed to begin February 1, 2021); (6) permitting and regulatory scheme designed to reduce participation and effort over time (currently in place); and (7) demonstrated substantial decline in the number of participants and the number of buoy lines deployed (currently in place).
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