Public Invited to Comment on List of Commercial Fisheriesthat Impact Marine Mammals

December 12, 2006

Release from:
NOAA

NOAA Fisheries has published its proposed List of Fisheries for 2007, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The proposed List of Fisheries for 2007 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NOAA classifies each commercial fishery on the list into one of three categories based upon the level of serious injury and mortality of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The categorization of a fishery determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan requirements. Additional materials including current and past lists, registration procedures, observer requirements, and marine mammal injury/mortality reporting forms, are available online.

Comments on the proposed list may be sent to 2007LOF.comments@noaa.gov through January 3, 2007.

For more information, read the proposed rule.