Large Whale Information

Marine Animal Reporting Hotline 1-800-532-9551

Current Maine Whale Plan Links

• Trap/pot gear requirements
• Maine exemption line - charts from NOAA's Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP)
• DAM program eliminated, sinking groundline requirement begins April 5, 2009 - see reminder permit holder letter under What's New (03/05/09)

Information from 2009

• DAM zone east of Portsmouth, February 22 - March 8, 2009
• DAM zone east of Portsmouth, February 1 - 15, 2009

Information from 2008

• Two DAM zones, December 14 - 28, 2008
• Two DAM zones, November 19 - December 3, 2008
• DAM zone, October 16 - 30, 2008
• NMFS delays the implementation of the sinking groundline requirement of the Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Final Rule until April 2009 - August 29, 2008
• DAM zone, March 20 - April 3, 2008
• DAM zone, March 7 - 21, 2008
• DAM zone, February 16 - March 1, 2008
• NMFS announces funds available for whale entanglement gear-marking research
• DMR proposes low-profile lobster groundline alternative to NMFS Large Whale Take Reduction Plan
• DAM zone, February 10 - 24, 2008
• DAM zone, January 31 - February 14, 2008
• DAM zone, January 26 - February 9, 2008 (See Feb. 10 for partial extension)
• DAM zones (2), December 30, 2007 - January 13, 2008

Information from 2007

• DAM zones (2), December 5 - 19, 2007
• DAM zone, November 11 - 25, 2007
• DAM zone, November 8 - 22, 2007
• DAM zone, October 27 - November 10, 2007 (See Nov. 11 for extension)
• DAM zone: October 20 - November 3, 2007, Rescinded
• NMFS announces a decision for the Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Final Rule. See ROD press release at this link - October 5, 2007
• DAM zone: February 7 - 21, 2007
• DAM zone: February 3 - 17, 2007

Information from 2006

• Report on the Distribution of Vertical Endlines from the Maine Lobster Fishery, December 2006 - pdf file, 749kb, 40 pages
  Appendix B of the report (percentage table) - pdf file, 156kb, 3 pages
• Report on Experimental Low-Profile Groundlines, November 2006 - pdf file, 2.7 mb (!), 34 pages
  Appendix 1 of the report (sample logbook) - pdf file, 186kb, 6 pages
  
• DAM zones: December 18, 2006 - January 1, 2007
• DAM zones: December 3 - 17, 2006
• DAM zones: November 18 - December 2, 2006
• DAM zone: January 14 - 28, 2006

Information from 2005

• Maine Foraging Workshop Final Report
• Maine Foraging Workshop Slide Presentations
   
• DAM zone: February 11-25 
• DAM Zone effective 0001 hours January 15, 2005, through 2400 hours January 29, 2005

Information from 2004

• - DAM Zone effective December 22, 2004 through January 5, 2005
  - DAM Zone effective 0001 hours September 2, 2004 through 2400 hours September 16, 2004
  - Effective March 25, 2004, through 2400 hours April 8, 2004
  - Effective March 14, 2004, through 2400 hours, March 28, 2004
   

• NMFS - Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP) Information Link Page

• Maine Marine Patrol Enforcement Whale Take Reduction Gear Options (Weak Link Pictures)

• Area 1 - Lobster Gear Only - Whale Take Reduction Gear Options

• Protected Resources Information from the National Marine Fisheries Service

Information from 2002-2003

• Dynamic Area Management Zone on Jeffreys Ledge (December 2003-January 2004)

• Summary of new gear modifications for gillnet and lobster fisheries in the Gulf of Maine

• Dynamic Area Management Zone on Cashes Ledge (12/30/02)

• Seasonal Area Management, Interim Final Rule (January 9, 2002)

• Dynamic Area Management, Final Rule (January 9, 2002)

• Gear Modification, Final Rule (January 10, 2002) - This is a PDF file and is over 500 KB in size - It may take a while to download if you are using a 56K or slower modem.

Information from 2001

• NOAA Fisheries Proposes New Ways to Reduce Whale Entanglements in Fishing Gear - October 19, 2001

• Press Release - August 2, 2001 - DMR Begins Implementation of State Large Whale Take Reduction Plan

• Proposed 2001 State of Maine Large Whale Take Reduction Plan

• Advanced Disentanglement Training - 2000

• Gillnet Weak Link & Buoy Line Marking Techniques

• Lobster Weak Link & Buoy Line Marking Background

For more information, contact:

Erin Summers