Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge Closure to Trap/Pot Gear Upheld and Effective February 1 – Compliance Assistance Available

February 1, 2025 New England

On January 30, 2025, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the final regulation amending the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (Plan) to expand the boundaries of the seasonal Massachusetts Restricted Area (MRA) to include the “Wedge”—that area of federal waters in Massachusetts Bay between state waters and the federal waters within the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge was lawful and may be enforced. Therefore, the Wedge is closed, effective February 1 2025, to the use of trap/pot gear (except the authorized use of on-demand gear by NOAA Fisheries) from February 1 through April 30. chart, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:03

New England lobstermen threaten to sue feds over planned Massachusetts fishing closureNovember 10, 2023In "National"

Massachusetts lobster fishing limits to protect whales restored by appeals courtJanuary 30, 2025In "New England"

Feds institute ’emergency’ lobster closure to protect right whalesMarch 3, 2022In "New England"

Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan., Closure to Trap/Pot Gear, Effective February 1/2024, massachusetts, Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries, Massachusetts Restricted Area, NOAA Fisheries, North Atlantic right whale, On-Demand Gear, Restricted Area, to include the “Wedge”, trap/pot gear, U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals

One Response to Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge Closure to Trap/Pot Gear Upheld and Effective February 1 – Compliance Assistance Available

John osmers says:

February 1, 2025 at 12:49 pm

Yet no restrictions or closure dates for offshore wind construction mass regulators should be ashamed of yourself’s

Reply

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The New England groundfish debacle (Part III): who or what is at fault? Nils E. Stolpe/FishNet

It took me a while to decide how to most accurately describe the situation that has been visited upon the New England fishing communities that are and since colonial times have been dependent on the groundfish fisheries.

NILS STOLPE: The New England groundfish debacle (Part IV): Is cutting back harvest really the answer?

While it’s a fact that’s hardly ever acknowledged, the assumption in fisheries management is that if the population of a stock of fish isn’t at some arbitrary level, it’s because of too much fishing. Hence the term “overfished.” Hence the mandated knee jerk reaction of the fisheries managers to not enough fish; cut back on fishing. What of other factors? They don’t count. It’s all about fishing, because fishing is all that the managers can control; it’s their Maslow’s Hammer. When it comes to the oceans it seems as if it’s about all that the industry connected mega-foundations that support the anti-fishing ENGOs with hundreds of millions of dollars a year in “donations” are interested in controlling. Read the article here

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