Data / Federal rules / 2024-02438
Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing Operations; Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Regulations
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on February 7, 2024. It took effect on March 8, 2024.
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What the agency says
NMFS is amending the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (Plan) to expand the boundaries of the seasonal Massachusetts Restricted Area (MRA) to include the wedge between State and Federal waters known as the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge (MRA Wedge). The MRA Wedge was seasonally closed to trap/pot fishing gear by emergency rulemaking in 2022 and 2023 to prevent the immediate risk to the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis, right whale) of mortality and serious injury caused by entanglement in fixed-gear buoy lines. Substantial observational evidence has documented the consistent presence of right whales within the MRA Wedge from February through April and aerial surveys have similarly documented the presence of aggregated fixed gear in the MRA Wedge during this same time period. Due to the co-occurrence of whales and buoy lines, both in high densities in this area during the specified times of year, this entanglement risk is expected to recur annually. This action will address this gap in protection between seasonally closed State and Federal waters and reduce the incidental mortality and serious injury of right whales, fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in commercial trap/pot fisheries. There is a specific carve out for this rule in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA).
Key facts
- Document number
- 2024-02438
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Published
- February 7, 2024
- Takes effect
- March 8, 2024
- Dates
- This rule is effective March 8, 2024.
- Docket
- Docket No. 240201-0032
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 0648-BM31
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 50 CFR 229
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Confidential business information; Fisheries; Marine mammals; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
- Pages
- 17
Other documents from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.