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

Resumo

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries (AA), NOAA, announces voluntary restrictions consistent with the requirements of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan's (ALWTRP) implementing regulations. These voluntary restrictions apply to lobster trap/pot and anchored gillnet fishermen in an area totaling approximately 1,460 square nautical miles (nm2) (2,706 km2), east of Cape Ann, MA, called Cashes Ledge, for 15 days. The purpose of this action is to provide protection to an aggregation of North Atlantic right whales (right whales).