Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing Operations; Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Regulations

Samenvatting

NMFS proposes to amend the regulations that implement the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP) to clarify its authority to temporarily restrict the use of lobster and gillnet fishing gear within defined areas to protect North Atlantic right whales, and to establish criteria and procedures for implementing such restrictions north of 40 deg. N. latitude, in order to further reduce risk of entanglement of right whales by such gear.