Northeast lobster and Jonah crab fishermen have until May 1 to make required gear modifications designed to protect North Atlantic right whales.
The regulations are critical to protecting this endangered species and keeping this valuable and important fishery open for business, according to an April 20 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration release.
“I want to assure fishermen who are making good-faith efforts to comply with these new measures but are not able to procure compliant gear that we understand the difficulty of their situation,” Michael Pentony, NOAA Greater Atlantic regional administrator said, according to the release.
NOAA is working with state and federal enforcement partners to implement enforcement gradually with a focus on compliance assistance rather than civil penalties until local supply chain issues have been resolved, he said in the release.
“I would like to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of fishermen, gear experts and manufacturers who have developed and tested numerous weak links, sleeves and ropes that comply with the 2021 modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan,” Pentony said, according to the release. “We would also like to express our great appreciation to the many fishermen who have already or are now modifying their gear to reduce the risk of entanglements.”
The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office has committed to stress the urgency to rope and weak link producers and to monitor the supply challenges. The office will keep in close contact with fishermen, state and federal law enforcement partners, the Northeast Office of Law Enforcement and New England state managers, he said in the release.
“I will continue to work with state fishery managers to ensure that both North Atlantic right whales and the valuable lobster fishery have a long and healthy future,” Pentony said in the release.
