Northeast Mid-Water Trawl Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

Category

II

Estimated Number of Participants

542

Target Species

Atlantic herring with bycatch of several finfish species, predominantly mackerel, spiny dogfish, and silver hake

Applicable Take Reduction Plans

Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Team

Observer Coverage

From 2015-2018, estimated percent observer coverage (trips) was 8, 27, 16, 14 and 28, respectively. 

Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured

Common dolphin, WNA;

Gray seal, WNA;

Harbor seal, WNA;

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA;

White-sided dolphin, WNA.

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)

II (1999)

Original Number of Participants

17

Basis for Original Classification

This fishery was listed as a Category II by analogy with the Category II "Atlantic squid, mackerel, butterfish trawl fishery". NOAA Fisheries had no evidence of interactions with marine mammals, but this fishery uses the same midwater trawl gear used in other Category II fisheries known to take several species of cetaceans, and operates at times and in areas of high marine mammal abundance (particularly the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy stock of harbor porpoise). This fishery includes vessels that were participating in the "Gulf of Maine, U.S. mid-Atlantic, coastal herring trawl fishery," which was removed from the LOF because there was little difference between vessels or gear fishing coastal waters or offshore waters.

Past Names

“Atlantic herring mid-water trawl (including pair trawl) fishery” until 2005.

Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)

Minke whale (Canadian East Coast);

Short-finned pilot whale, WNA

• Added white-sided dolphin, WNA.
• Removed superscript “1” from the WNA stock of long-finned pilot whale to indicate the stock is no longer driving the Category II classification.

• Removed the Canadian East coast stock of minke whale to the list of species incidentally killed or injured in the Category II Northeast midwater trawl fishery.
• Estimated number of participants updated from 1,087 to 542.

2017

• Added the Canadian East coast stock of minke whale to the list of species incidentally killed or injured in the Category II Northeast midwater trawl fishery.

2016

• Removed WNA stocks of white-sided dolphin and short-finned pilot whale based on no documented mortalities or injuries in the most recent five-year period.
• Estimated number of participants updated from 1,103 to 1,087.

2013

• Added common dolphin (WNA) based on documented mortalities in 2010 and 2012.
• Added grey seal (WNA) based on a documented mortality in 2012.
• Estimated number of participants updated from 887 to 1,103.

2012

• Clarified the spatial boundary by adding the following to the spatial distribution: “The Northeast mid-water trawl fishery includes all U.S. waters south of Cape Cod, MA that are east of 70° W and extending south to the intersection of the EEZ and 70° W (approximately 37° 54'N), as well as all U.S. waters north of Cape Cod to the Maine-Canada border.”
• Estimated number of participants updated from 953 to 887.

2011

• Updated the fishery description to include the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council as another body that jointly governing this fishery.
• Estimated number of participants updated from 17 to 953. 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

• Added a superscript “1” after long-finned pilot whales (WNA) and short-finned pilot whales (WNA), indicating that these stocks are driving the categorization of this fishery.

2005

• Fishery renamed from the “Atlantic herring midwater trawl (including pair trawl) fishery” to the "Northeast mid-water trawl (including pair trawl) fishery" to appropriately classify all similar mid-water trawl fisheries operating in the Northeast region (home ports between Connecticut and Maine), that might be interacting with marine mammals.
• Long-finned pilot whale (WNA), short-finned pilot whale (WNA), and white-sided dolphin (WNA) added to the list of species/stocks killed/injured in this fishery based on interactions documented in recent SARs. The 2003 SAR reported that the average annual mortality and serious injury of pilot whales was 11 animals/year (or 3.8% of PBR [PBR=239]) and of white-sided dolphins was 2 animals/year (or 0.5% of PBR [PBR=364]).

2001

• Harbor seal (WNA stock) added to the list of species/stocks killed/injured in this fishery. The 1999 SAR stated that there were high levels of interaction between this stock and deep water trawls on the Grand Banks.

1998

• NOAA Fisheries considered adding this fishery to the LOF as a Category II under the name "Atlantic pelagic midwater herring trawl fishery," because it utilized the same gear as the Category II "Atlantic squid, mackerel, butterfish trawl fishery.” Also, because it utilized different gear, and fished at different times and in different locations (with high harbor porpoise abundance) than the Category III coastal "Gulf of Maine, Southern North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico coastal herring trawl fishery." NOAA Fisheries did not include the fishery on the 1998 LOF in order to allow for sufficient opportunity for public comment. NOAA Fisheries planned to continue to monitor observer data and to propose a categorization in the 1999 LOF, and continued to use its authority to add observers to vessels operating in this fishery under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.