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Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan - Quick Summary

New England Component

The New England portion of the HPTRP pertains to all fishing with sink gillnets and other gillnets capable of catching multispecies in New England waters from Maine through Rhode Island east of 72° 30’ W longitude (see map). Vessels using pelagic gillnets/baitnets (as described in 50 CFR 648.81 (f)(2)(ii)) are exempt from this plan. It includes time and area closures, some of which are complete closures. Others are closures to multispecies gillnet fishing unless pingers are used in the prescribed manner. The HPTRP also establishes "consequence closure areas"* in New England, which are specific areas of historically high harbor porpoise bycatch that will seasonally close if bycatch rates averaged over two consecutive management seasons indicate that harbor porpoise takes are greater than a specified bycatch rate (see map). *Note: these consequence closures will ONLY be enacted if specified harbor porpoise bycatch rates are exceeded.

Management Measures for New England
Areas and Dates	Restrictions
Northeast Closure Area
August 15 to September 13	No Gillnets
Mid-Coast Management Area
September 15 to May 31	Gillnets with pingers
Massachusetts Bay Management Area
November 1 to February 28/29	Gillnets with pingers
March 1-31	No Gillnets
April 1 to May 31	Gillnets with pingers
Stellwagen Bank Management Area
November 1- May 31	Gillnets with pingers
Southern New England Management Area
December 1- May 31 (Except in Cape Cod South Closure Area in March – see below)	Gillnets with pingers
Cape Cod South Closure Area (Located within Southern New England Management Area)
March 1-31	No Gillnets
Offshore Management Area (Surrounding Cashes Ledge Closure Area)
November 1 to May 31 (Except in Cashes Ledge Closure Area in February – see below)	Gillnets with pingers
Cashes Ledge Closure Area (Located within Offshore Management Area)
February 1-28/29	No Gillnets

Consequence Closure Areas*
	CLOSED (No Gillnets)
Coastal Gulf of Maine	Oct. 1- Nov. 30 *

Eastern Cape Cod	Feb. 1- April 30 *

Cape Cod South Expansion	Feb. 1-April 30 *

* Closures will only be enacted if specified harbor porpoise bycatch rates are exceeded.

Mid-Atlantic Component

The Mid-Atlantic portion of the HPTRP pertains to waters west of 72° 30’ W. longitude to the Mid-Atlantic shoreline from the Connecticut/New York border to the North Carolina/South Carolina border (see map). It includes time and area closures to gillnet fishing unless the gear meets certain specifications. Gillnet fishing in Mid-Atlantic waters during regulated periods is regulated differently for small mesh and large mesh gear. The plan also includes some time and area closures in which gillnet fishing is prohibited regardless of the gear specifications.

Large Mesh Gillnet Fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic (Mesh Size 7-18 inches)

	Gear Modifications Required	CLOSED (No Gillnets)

Waters off New Jersey Management Area	Jan. 1 through March 31; April 21 through April 30	April 1 through April 20
Mudhole North Management Area (Located within the Waters off New Jersey)	Jan. 1 through April 30	Feb. 15 through March 15; April 1-April 20
Mudhole South Management Area (Located within the Waters off New Jersey)	Jan. 1 through Jan. 31; March 16 through March 31; April 21 through April 30	Feb. 1- March 15; April 1-April 20
Southern Mid-Atlantic Management Area	Feb. 1 through Feb. 14; March 16 through April 30	Feb. 15 through March 15

Small Mesh Gillnet Fishery in the Mid-Atlantic (Mesh Size >5 inches to < 7 inches)

	Gear Modifications Required	CLOSED (No Gillnets)

Waters off New Jersey Management Area	Jan. 1 through April 30	–
Mudhole North Management Area (Located within the Waters off New Jersey)	Jan. 1 through April 30	Feb. 15 through March 15
Mudhole South Management Area (Located within the Waters off New Jersey)	Jan. 1 through Jan. 31; March 16 through April 30	Feb, 1- March 15
Southern Mid-Atlantic Management Area	Feb. 1 through April 30	–

For more information on the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan, please contact
the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office's Protected Resources Division at 978-281-9328

Last Updated: March 30, 2010

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Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan - Quick Summary

For more information on the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan, please contact the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office's Protected Resources Division at 978-281-9328

Last Updated: March 30, 2010

For more information on the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan, please contact
the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office's Protected Resources Division at 978-281-9328