(Saving Seafood) July 1, 2013 — During a June 18 conference call of the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Team (TRT), NOAA informed the Take Reduction Team that they were working to remove the scheduled consequence closure in the Gulf of Maine that was scheduled for Fall 2013.
This removal of the closure is based upon the recommendation and vote taken by the TRT during their meeting held in Providence RI in May. To do so, NOAA will be utilizing the "Special Measures" provision of the Take Reduction Plan, and are in the process of going through rule making. During fishing year 2012, this Special Measures provision, as identified by the Northeast Seafood Coalition, was utilized to modify the timing of the consequence closure.
NOAA’s consequence strategy triggers protective closures in areas that harbor porpoise bycatch exceeds an established threshold. NOAA is removing the closure because marine mammal “takes” in the area are currently below Potential Biological Removal (PBR) standards and are approaching levels below the five-year average. Also, the trigger used to initiative the closure had proven to be flawed, not a direct link to PBR. Aside from the closure already triggered in the Gulf of Maine, preliminary reports indicated that this trigger, if applied, would have likely enacted the closure for Southern New England this coming winter / spring.
Although NOAA Fisheries is scheduled to lift the consequence closure in the Gulf of Maine (October / November), they will be closely monitoring and enforcing pinger regulations, gear modifications and seasonal closure requirements. TRT members will be working with NMFS in the coming months to enhance monitoring and enforcement. NMFS will also be continuing to work with the TRT to amend the Take Reduction Plan for the coming years.
Read a summary of the June 18 conference released by NOAA Fisheries