The
goal of the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (BDTRP)
is to reduce serious injuries and deaths, or bycatch,
of the Western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin
stock (Tursiops truncatus) due to accidental entanglement
in nine U.S. commercial fisheries.
Objectives of the BDTRP:
1.
Short-Term
Goal: Within six months, reduce bycatch of bottlenose
dolphins caused by fisheries to below the potential
biological removal level.
2.
Long-Term
Goal: Within five years, reduce bycatch caused
by fisheries to insignificant levels approaching
a zero mortality rate, while taking
into account other factors, such as the economy
of the fishery.
Geographic Scope:
The geographic scope of the BDTRP is based on the range
of the Western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin
stock. It includes all marine waters within 6.5 nautical
miles (nmi) (12 km) of shore from the New York-New Jersey
border southward to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and
within 14.6 (nmi) (27 km) of shore from Cape Hatteras,
southward to, and including the east coast of Florida
down to the Fishery Management Council demarcation line
between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Within
this overall geographic scope, there are seven management
units (MUs). Regulatory measures are organized according
to these MUs and by specific locations.
Affected
Fisheries:
•
Mid-Atlantic
Coastal Gillnet Fishery
•
North
Carolina Roe Mullet Stop
•
Virginia
Pound Net Fishery
•
North
Carolina Long Haul Seine Fishery
•
Mid-Atlantic
Haul/Beach Seine Fishery
•
Southeastern
U.S. Atlantic Shark Gillnet Fishery
•
Atlantic
Blue Crab Trap/Pot Fishery
•
Southeast
Atlantic Gillnet Fishery
•
North
Caroloina Inshore Gillnet
Restricted Gear:
Gear restricted by the BDTRP includes small, medium,
and large-mesh gillnets. The regulatory and non-regulatory
recommendations generally seek to reduce soak times
or modify fishing practices to limit bycatch of bottlenose
dolphins.
History:
In May 2002 after five team meetings, the Bottlenose
Dolphin Take Reduction Team (BDTRT) submitted a draft
BDTRP to NOAA Fisheries Service containing consensus
regulatory and non-regulatory recommendations. The
regulatory recommendations suggested reducing soak
times, modifying fishing practices, hauling small mesh
gillnets every 24-hours, maintaining a proximity to
deployed gear to limit bycatch of bottlenose dolphins,
and gear marking requirements. The non-regulatory recommendations
suggested conducting education and outreach, as well
as improving research, monitoring, stranding data,
and observer coverage.
The BDTRT met for a sixth time in April 2003 because
the original recommendations did not meet the potential
biological removal for
all management units, and updated coastal bottlenose
dolphin abundance data became available after the draft
BDTRP was submitted to NOAA Fisheries Service. The
BDTRT provided an addendum to the consensus recommendations
in May 2003.
After incorporating the majority of the BDTRT’s
consensus recommendations, NOAA Fisheries Service published
a proposed rule to implement the BDTRP (69
FR 65127 [pdf] [164 KB])
on November 10, 2004. The public had the opportunity
to provide comments for 90 days, during which NOAA
Fisheries Service received 4,140 comments. After consideration
of these comments and additional information received,
NOAA Fisheries Service published a final rule implementing
the BDTRP (71
FR 24776 [pdf] [1.9 MB] ) on April 26,
2006.
Although the BDTRP is finalized, the BDTRT and NOAA
Fisheries Service will meet periodically to monitor
implementation and effectives of the plan at meeting
its objectives.
More Information on the take reduction plan
process:
