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NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application submitted by the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).
The EFP would provide an exemption from federal lobster gear marking requirements and allow up to 100 federally permitted commercial lobster vessels to test alternatives to static vertical lines in trap/pot fisheries (also referred to as on-demand gear), including up to 30 vessels fishing in Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Restricted Areas with no static vertical lines. In recognition of industry’s interest in grappling as a low-cost alternative to acoustic on-demand systems, this project would allow up to 25 vessels to fish via grappling to enable the Center to collect data on the viability of grappling at a commercial scale.
The purpose of this project is to expand the existing trial of fishing systems aimed at reducing the entanglement risk to the endangered North Atlantic right whale across the breadth of regional trap/pot fishing conditions.
Full details on the proposal can be found in the Federal Register notice. The comment period is open through June 15, 2022.
If you would like more information on participating in future on-demand gear EFPs, please email the Northeast Fisheries Science Center Gear Library at nec.gearlibrary@noaa.gov.
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