



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.
Category |
II |
Estimated Number of Participants |
852 |
Target Species |
Mackerel, herring (particularly for bait), shad, and menhaden. |
Applicable Take Reduction Plans |
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Observer Coverage |
During the period 1990-2013, estimated observer coverage (number of trips observed/total commercial trips reported) for Northeast sink gillnet, Northeast anchored float gillnet, and Northeast driftnet fisheries was 1%, 6%, 7%, 5%, 7%, 5%, 4%, 6%, 5%, 6%, 6%, 4%, 2%, 3%, 6%, 7%, 4%, 7%, 5%, 4%, 17%, 19%, 15%, and 11%, respectively |
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured |
Harbor seal, Western North Atlantic (WNA); Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine; White-sided dolphin, WNA. |
^ 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.
This fishery was categorized as a Category II based on anecdotal reports a mortality of a white-sided dolphin and an entanglement of a humpback whale. Although there had been little effort in the fishery in the years prior to the 1996 LOF, this fishery was proposed to be listed as Category I because it had been a Category I on the 1994 LOF (created under the interim LOF process established under section 114 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act [MMPA]). However, because the reports were anecdotal and there was little effort in this fishery, NOAA Fisheries categorized it as a Category II in the final 1996 LOF (under the LOF process established under the 1994 amendments to the MMPA). NOAA Fisheries stated that Category II was warranted because the fishery operated in an area of high marine mammal concentration and there was a reported mortality.
The fishery operates from the U.S.-Canada border to Long Island, New York, at 72° 30'W. long south to 36° 33.03'N. lat. (corresponding with the Virginia-North Carolina border) and east to the eastern edge of the EEZ, not including Long Island Sound or other waters where gillnet fisheries are listed as Category III.
This fishery uses gillnet gear of any size anchored and fished in the upper two-thirds of the water column.
The fishery is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission under the Interstate Fishery Management Plans for Atlantic Menhaden and Shad and is subject to ALWTRP implementing regulations. A total closure of the American shad ocean intercept fishery was fully implemented in January, 2005.
(includes descriptions of Northeast anchored float and Northeast drift gillnets) Total metric tons of fish landed from 1998 to 2012 were 22,933, 18,681, 14,487, 14, 634, 15,201, 17,680, 19,080, 15.390, 14,950, 15,808, 18,808, 17,207, 18,170, 19,279 and 17,490, respectively (NOAA Fisheries). Data on total quantity of gear fished (i.e., number of sets) have not been reported consistently among commercial gillnet fishermen on vessel logbooks, and, therefore, will not be reported here.
Original Category (Year added to the LOF) |
II (2001) |
Original Number of Participants |
133 |
Basis for Original Classification |
This fishery was categorized as a Category II based on anecdotal reports a mortality of a white-sided dolphin and an entanglement of a humpback whale. Although there had been little effort in the fishery in the years prior to the 1996 LOF, this fishery was proposed to be listed as Category I because it had been a Category I on the 1994 LOF (created under the interim LOF process established under section 114 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act [MMPA]). However, because the reports were anecdotal and there was little effort in this fishery, NOAA Fisheries categorized it as a Category II in the final 1996 LOF (under the LOF process established under the 1994 amendments to the MMPA). NOAA Fisheries stated that Category II was warranted because the fishery operated in an area of high marine mammal concentration and there was a reported mortality. |
Past Names |
“Gulf of Maine small pelagics surface gillnet fishery” until 2001. |
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list) |
N/A |
2017 |
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2016 |
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2013 |
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2012 |
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2011 |
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2009 |
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2008 |
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2007 |
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2006 |
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2001 |
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