The goal of the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (BDTRP) is to reduce serious injuries and deaths, or bycatch, of the Western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin stock (Tursiops truncatus) due to accidental entanglement in nine U.S. commercial fisheries.

Objectives of the BDTRP:

Geographic Scope:
The geographic scope of the BDTRP is based on the range of the Western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin stock. It includes all marine waters within 6.5 nautical miles (nmi) (12 km) of shore from the New York-New Jersey border southward to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and within 14.6 (nmi) (27 km) of shore from Cape Hatteras, southward to, and including the east coast of Florida down to the Fishery Management Council demarcation line between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Within this overall geographic scope, there are seven management units (MUs). Regulatory measures are organized according to these MUs and by specific locations.

Affected Fisheries:

Restricted Gear:
Gear restricted by the BDTRP includes small, medium, and large-mesh gillnets. The regulatory and non-regulatory recommendations generally seek to reduce soak times or modify fishing practices to limit bycatch of bottlenose dolphins.

History:
In May 2002 after five team meetings, the BDTRT submitted a draft BDTRP to NOAA Fisheries Service containing consensus regulatory and non-regulatory recommendations.  The regulatory recommendations suggested reducing soak times, modifying fishing practices, hauling small mesh gillnets every 24-hours, maintaining a proximity to deployed gear to limit bycatch of bottlenose dolphins, and gear marking requirements.  The non-regulatory recommendations suggested conducting education and outreach, as well as improving research, monitoring, stranding data, and observer coverage. 

The BDTRT met for a sixth time in April 2003 because the original recommendations did not meet PBR for all management units, and updated coastal bottlenose dolphin abundance data became available after the draft BDTRP was submitted to NOAA Fisheries.  The BDTRT provided an addendum to the consensus recommendations in May 2003. 

The BDTRP:
NOAA Fisheries Service published a proposed rule to implement the BDTRP (69 FR 65127) on November 10, 2004, which incorporated the majority of the teams 2002 and 2003 consensus recommendations. The public had the opportunity to provide comments for 90 days, during which NOAA Fisheries Service received 4,140 comments. After consideration of these comments and additional information received, NOAA Fisheries Service published a final rule implementing the BDTRP (71 FR 24776) on April 26, 2006, with an effective date of May 26, 2006.

2009 Amendment to the BDTRP:
The BDTRT was reconvened in June 2007 to monitor the effectiveness of the BDTRP. During this meeting they recommended several additional consensus recommendations; notably, to amend the BDTRP to extend current nighttime fishing restrictions of medium mesh gillnets operating in North Carolina expiring on May 26, 2009.  Extending these restrictions for an additional three years would ensure continued conservation of the Western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin stock, should a directed spiny dogfish fishery reemerge in North Carolina. Therefore, NOAA Fisheries Service published a proposed rule (73 FR 49634) on August 22, 2008, to amend the BDTRP according to the team's recommendations. The final rule amending the BDTRP was published (73 FR 77531) on December 19, 2008, with an effective date of January 20, 2009.  Please reference the amendment fact sheet for additional information on the amendment to the BDTRP.

The BDTRT and NOAA Fisheries Service will meet periodically to monitor implementation and effectiveness of the plan at meeting its objectives.

Educational Information:

• Fact Sheet on the 2009 Amendment to the BDTRP

• 2006 BDTRP Compliance Guide

• Placard for regulations from Virginia - New Jersey

• Placard for regulations in Southern Virginia

• Placard for regulations in Northern North Carolina

• Placard for regulations in Southern North Carolina

• Placard for regulations in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida

• Placard for non-regulatory conservation measures for crab pot fishermen

• How To Construct an Inverted Crab Pot Well
  

More Information on the take reduction plan process:

Take Reduction Planning