Better Bycatch Reduction Device for the Gulf Shrimp Fleet Project
For more information, please contact sustainable fisheries at (727) 824-5305.
The project involves the testing of new bycatch reduction device (BRD) designs in the commercial shrimp trawl fishery in federal waters of the Gulf of America*. The Better BRDs for the Gulf Commercial Shrimp Trawl Fishery project is a collaborative effort amongst NOAA Restoration Center, NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Louisiana Sea Grant, and Texas Sea Grant to restore finfish populations injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill through development and testing of new BRDs for the commercial shrimp industry in the Gulf of America. The exempted fishing permit (EFP) would be valid through December 31, 2028, commencing on the date the EFP is issued.
Exempted Fishing Permit Application (2025-2028 Extension)
Federal Register Notice (89 FR 90676)
Original EFP (Through December 31, 2024)
The project involves the testing of new bycatch reduction device (BRD) designs in the commercial shrimp trawl fishery in federal waters of the Gulf of America. The Better BRDs for the Gulf Commercial Shrimp Trawl Fishery project is a collaborative effort amongst NOAA Restoration Center, NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Louisiana Sea Grant, and Texas Sea Grant to restore finfish populations injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill through development and testing of new BRDs for the commercial shrimp industry in the Gulf of America. The EFP would be valid through December 31, 2024, commencing on the date the EFP is issued.
Exempted Fishing Permit Application
More Information
*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. On August 7, 2025, NOAA Fisheries and the National Ocean Service amended regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect the renaming. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes or previously published materials.