Regs to save whales could be delayed

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) may delay the timetable for regulations to help keep whales from getting tangled in commercial finishing lines.

{mosads}The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan restricts fishing off the coast of Massachusetts starting Jan. 1, 2015, but NOAA wants to push that start date back one month and expand the area by 912 square miles. NOAA established rules earlier this year to help keep whales from becoming snared in the buoy lines of commercial trap fisherman. The regulations modified gear, set gear setting requirements and set seasonal closures. 

NOAA estimates 109 vessels would be impacted under the current closure date, creating the potential for $1.2 million in lost gross revenue.

NOAA said that delaying the fishing restriction until Feb. 1 would decrease the number of vessels affected and reduce compliance costs, while still helping mitigate the risk to whales.

“Relatively strong landings make this a critical time for the Massachusetts lobster fishery, especially in the northern part of the closure area,” NOAA’s report said. “Based on an analysis of the affected number of vessels, average traps per vessel and net revenues, National Marine Fisheries Service estimates that by starting the closure in February, instead of January, this action would result in net revenue gains of $447,000.”

To keep federal lobster fisherman from having to remove their pots two weeks earlier, the agency has also proposed pushing back restrictions on lobster fishing in the Outer Cape Area. The closure would run from Feb. 1 to March 31, 2015, instead of Jan. 15 to March 15.