NATIONAL FISHERMAN • April 1, 2020
Recent rules proposed for protecting whales in Maine make no mention of ropeless gear, nor do proposed or pending rules elsewhere in the country. According to NOAA, ropeless gear can be used in areas that aren’t closed to trap fishing if fishermen get authorization from state or federal authorities that allow them to fish without surface marking. “We are looking into modifying areas closed to lobster and other trap/pot fisheries to protect whales (so closed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act) to areas closed to the buoy lines rather than closed to the fishing itself. Fishing would still be subject to gear marking requirements of other fishery management regulations, so an exemption to those requirements would still be necessary.”