Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Risk Reduction Rule

The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP) was developed pursuant to Section 118 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act to reduce the serious injury and mortality of right, humpback, and fin whales due to incidental interactions with commercial fisheries. NOAA Fisheries is preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed amendments to the ALWTRP regulations (50 CFR 229.32). The proposed gear set modifications are designed to further reduce the risk and severity of serious injury and mortality to Atlantic large whales due to incidental interactions with commercial fishing gear. 

Appendices are available in Volume 2: 

Appendix 2.1 Current ALWTRP Requirements

Appendix 2.2: Large Whale Entanglement and Vessel Strike Cases That Resulted in Serious Injury or Mortality 

Appendix 3.1 Decision Support Tool Model Documentation

Appendix 3.2 All State Proposals 

Appendix 3.3: A Summary of Comments Received During the Scoping Process

Appendix 4.1 Full List of Species Caught Using Pots/Traps Gear* in 2018

Appendix 4.2 Social Indicators for Top Landing Ports of American Lobsters by State

Appendix 4.3 Definition of Social Indicators  

Appendix 4.4 Community Profiles 

Appendix 5.1 Draft Technical Documentation for the Vertical Line / Co-Occurrence Model

Appendix 5.2: Co-Occurrence Maps  

Appendix 6.1 Gear Conversion Cost Methodology  

Appendix 6.2 Vessel Trip Report Data Processing Method