Chesapeake Bay Inshore Gillnet Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of interactions that result in incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Current Classification on the List of Fisheries

Category	II
Estimated Number of Participants	265
Target Species	Menhaden, croaker
Applicable Take Reduction Plans	N/A
Observer Coverage	There has not been observer coverage in this fishery
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured	Bottlenose dolphin, unknown (Northern migratory coastal or Southern migratory coastal)

^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.

*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).

¹ Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.

Basis for Current Classification

By analogy with other Category II gillnet fisheries that use similar gear and operate in a similar manner to this fishery. Also, because of the potential for interactions with bottlenose dolphins (Western North Atlantic [WNA] stock).

Distribution

The fishery operates between the Chesapeake Bay/Bridge Tunnel and the mainland.

Gear Description

This fishery uses gillnet gear with mesh sizes ranging from 2.75-5 in (7- 12.7 cm), depending on the target species.

Management

The fishery is managed under the Inter-state Fishery Management Plans for Atlantic menhaden and Atlantic croaker managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Historical Information

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)	III (1996)
Original Number of Participants	45
Basis for Original Classification	This fishery was listed as Category III because there was no information to suggest that mortality and serious injury to any marine mammal species/stock occurred. Also, likelihood of encounters was low based on the distribution of marine mammal stocks in the areas with effort in this fishery. This fishery was separated from other mid-Atlantic gillnet fisheries to account for differences in marine mammal distribution. NOAA Fisheries stated that a closer examination of recent records may provide information to support reclassification.
Past Names	N/A
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)	Harbor porpoise (Gulf of ME/Bay of Fundy); bottlenose dolphin (WNA)

Timeline of Changes

2021	Estimated number of participants updated from 248 to 265.
2017	Added unknown stock (likely Northern migratory coastal or Southern migratory coastal) of bottlenose dolphin to the list of stocks incidentally killed/injured based on a 2013 mortality. Estimated number of participants updated from 272 to 248.
2016	Estimated number of participants updated from 1,126 to 272.
2013	Estimated number of participants updated from 3,328 to 1,126.
2012	Estimated number of participants updated from 1,167 to 3,328
2011	Estimated number of participants updated from 45 to 1,167. This estimation may be an inflation of actual effort; however, it represents the potential effort for the fishery, given the multiple gear types several state permits may allow for.
2006	Elevated from a Category III to a Category II based on analogy with other Category II gillnet fisheries and because of the potential for interactions with bottlenose dolphins (WNA). As a Category III fishery, observer coverage was not required. However, incidental takes of bottlenose dolphins (WNA) had been documented in similar gillnet fisheries listed as Category II. Effort in this fishery overlaps with the range of bottlenose dolphins (WNA), and therefore the potential for interactions exists. Reclassifying as Category II allowed NOAA Fisheries to characterize this fishery through the observer program. Added a superscript “2” after this fishery in Table 2, indicating that this fishery is categorized by analogy.
2005	Deleted harbor porpoises (Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy) from the list of stocks incidentally killed/injured because interactions had not been documented in recent years.
2001	Added harbor porpoises (Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy) to the list of stocks incidentally killed/injured.