Contact: Scott Smullen FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Teri Frady 2/6/97
TEAM SUBMITS STRATEGY TO REDUCE INCIDENTAL TAKES
OF LARGE WHALES IN FISHING OPERATIONS
Fisheries Service to Review and Issue Formal Proposal by April
An advisory team charged with developing a strategy to reduce
incidental harm to large whales that interact with four types of fishing
operations along the Atlantic coast submitted a draft plan Tuesday to the
National Marine Fisheries Service for review, the agency announced
today.
Known as the Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, the document will provide the fisheries service with advice for reducing takes of northern right, humpback, minke, and fin whales in the New England sink-gillnet fishery, the lobster trap/pot fishery in the Gulf of Maine and mid-Atlantic, the coastal gillnet fishery in the mid-Atlantic, and the shark gillnet fishery in the southeastern U.S. Atlantic.
"I'm pleased the Take Reduction Team worked hard to meet an extremely tight deadline to submit a draft plan that will serve as a basis for curtailing the interaction between large whales and these fisheries," said Rollie Schmitten, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service."
Since August 1996, this team of fishermen, specialists in marine mammal conservation, scientists, and federal and state managers has met monthly. With the help of a professional facilitator, the group sought to use the diverse views and expertise of team members to produce a draft plan that would also meet the goals and deadlines established by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. According to team facilitators, the plan submitted by the team reflects the best effort to develop a consensus-based plan. While a consensus plan was not reached on all issues, the team provided the fisheries service with a significant and useful framework for developing proposed regulations.
"Even though the team was unable to reach full consensus, that doesn't mean their work won't be used. The agency is committed to protecting large whales and will use the team's draft plan, any comments from those not part of the consensus, and other public comments in order to come up with sound, workable solutions for reducing takes," said Schmitten.
The fisheries service intends to publish a proposed plan and proposed implementing regulations by April 1. The public then will have 45 days to review and comment on these proposals. The fisheries service expects to issue a final plan by July. Although the plan will not be in place for the beginning of the 1997 fishing year, the fisheries service is moving ahead with measures to improve whale protection, particularly for northern right whales, while a comprehensive take reduction plan is developed. Examples include gear restrictions in areas of critical habitat, a 500-yard protection zone, and working with fishermen on gear modifications that may reduce the likelihood of takes.
Take reduction teams were formed by 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to help the fisheries service develop draft management plans to reduce interactions between fisheries and marine mammals. The immediate goal of the plan is to reduce, within six months of implementation, the incidental take of marine mammals to levels that will not interfere with the stocks reaching or maintaining optimum sustainable populations. The team represents a variety of interests including fishermen, scientists, environmental groups and others.
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