Trap/pot fishermen fishing in the federal waters within the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge must remove all trap/pot gear from this area, and may not reset trawls being actively fished, or set new trawls in this area for the period from February 1- April 30, 2023.
| MRA Wedge Area Coordinates | ||
| Point | Lat | Long |
| MRAW1 | 42°39.77′ | 70°30′ |
| MRAW2 | 42°12′ | 70°38.69′ |
| MRAW3 | 42°12′ | 70°30′ |
| MRAW4 | 42°30′ | 70°30′ |
| MRAW1 | 42°39.77′ | 70°30′ |
This emergency rule addresses the risk created by this open wedge when large numbers of right whales are exiting Cape Cod Bay at the same time and place where fishermen are either fishing or may be staging their trap/pot fishing gear in preparation for the May 1 opening of federal waters in the Massachusetts Restricted Area. We implemented a similar emergency rule in April 2022, and are doing so again at the request of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The 2021 modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan are available on our website, including updates to approved weak inserts and weak rope.
Original source can be found here.
