Emergency Closure for Lobster and Jonah Crab Trap/Pot Fishery: Area Between Massachusetts Restricted Area and Massachusetts Restricted Area North for April 2022

Lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fishermen fishing in the federal waters between the Massachusetts Restricted Area North and the Massachusetts Restricted Area must remove all trap/pot gear from this area, and may not reset trawls being actively fished, or set new trawls in this area for the period from April 1-30, 2022.

This emergency closure is being put in place to protect right whales exiting Cape Cod Bay from becoming entangled in the dense aggregations of gear that were observed in this area in April 2021. Implementing an emergency restriction to fishing with buoy lines in this area will address a critical gap in protection where there is a particularly high chance of entanglement that was not addressed in recent modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, while long term measures are being developed.

The 2021 modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan are available on our website, including updates to approved weak inserts and weak rope.