# Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing Operations; Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Regulations
> **Rule** · Interim final rule. · Published 1997-07-22 · Effective 1997-11-15 · 62 FR 39157
## Document
- **Document number:** 97-18997
- **Category:** seasonal-closure
- **Species:** whale
- **Federal Register citation:** 62 FR 39157
- **Publication date:** 1997-07-22
- **Effective date:** 1997-11-15
- **NOAA docket:** Docket No. 970129015-7170-04
## Abstract

NMFS by this action establishes a take reduction plan, and issues an interim final rule implementing that plan, to reduce serious injury and mortality to four large whale stocks that occurs incidental to certain fisheries. The target whale stocks are: The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), western North Atlantic stock, humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) western North Atlantic stock, fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) western North Atlantic stock, and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Canadian East Coast stock. Covered by the plan are fisheries: For multiple groundfish species, including monkfish and dogfish, in the New England Multispecies sink gillnet fishery; for multiple species in the U.S. mid-Atlantic coastal gillnet fisheries; for lobster in the interim final rule includes time and area closures for the lobster, anchored gillnet and shark drift gillnet fisheries, gear requirements, including a general prohibition on having line floating at the surface in these fisheries, a prohibition on storing inactive gear at sea; and restrictions on setting shark drift gillnets and drift gillnets in the mid-Atlantic. The plan also contains non-regulatory aspects, including recommendations for gear research, public outreach and increasing efforts to disentangle whales caught in fishing gear.

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1997/07/22/97-18997/taking-of-marine-mammals-incidental-to-commercial-fishing-operations-atlantic-large-whale-take)
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