


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 |
I |
Estimated Number of Participants |
8,485 |
Target Species |
American lobster |
Applicable Take Reduction Plans |
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Observer Coverage |
N/A |
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured |
Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine; Minke whale, Canadian east coast; North Atlantic right whale, WNA1 |
^ 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.
The annual level of serious injury and mortality of north Atlantic right whales (western north Atlantic [WNA] stock), humpback whales (Gulf of Maine stock), and minke whales (Canadian east coast stock) in this fishery exceeds 50% of each stocks’ Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level.
The fishery operates in inshore and offshore waters from Maine to New Jersey and may extend as far south as Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Approximately 80% of American lobsters are harvested from state waters.
This fishery operates primarily with traps, while 2-3% of the target species are taken by mobile gear (trawls and dredges).
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has a primary regulatory role for this fishery because the majority of the harvest is taken from state waters. The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) portion of the fishery operates under regulations from the Federal American Lobster Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Both the EEZ and state fishery are operating under Federal regulations from the ALWTRP.
Original Category (Year added to the LoF) |
I (1997) |
Original Number of Participants |
13,000 |
Basis for Original Classification |
The current fishery was created by combining the Category III “Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Lobster Offshore Trap/Pot” and “Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Lobster Inshore Trap/Pot” fisheries into the “Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Lobster Trap/Pot” and immediately elevating this combined fishery to a Category I based on mortality and serious injury of North Atlantic right whales exceeding 50% of the stock’s PBR. NOAA Fisheries received opportunistic reports from 1990-1994 (therefore, all information represents the minimum number of interactions) of free-swimming or stranding entangled animals. Reports included: 2 North Atlantic right whales, or 0.4 animals/year (100% of the PBR of 0.4); 7 minke whales, or 1.4 animals/year (7% of the PBR of 21); and 11 humpback whales, or 1.8 animals/year (19% of the PBR of 9.7). NOAA Fisheries also had records of 25 other entanglements not used in analysis due to insufficient information on gear type, but some were likely due to lobster gear. |
Past Names |
Added as current name in 2001 and added as current categorization in 1997, though fishery has been listed on the LOF under different names and categorizations since 1989. “Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Lobster Trap/Pot” until 1997-2001; “Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Lobster Offshore Trap/Pot” and “Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Lobster Inshore Trap/Pot” 1992-1997; “Gulf of Maine, Southern Atlantic Inshore Lobster Trap/Pot” and “Gulf of Maine, Southern Atlantic Offshore Lobster Trap/Pot” 1991-1992; “Gulf of Maine, Southern New England Inshore Lobster Trap/Pot” and “Gulf of Maine, Southern New England Offshore Lobster Trap/Pot” 1989-1991. |
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list) |
N/A |
2019 |
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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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2010 |
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2008 |
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2006 |
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2001 |
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