Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing Operations; Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Regulations

Through this final rule, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) amends the regulations implementing the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP), to delay the effective date of a broad- based gear modification and remove one of the gear-related definitions required in the recent amendment to the ALWTRP. Specifically, NMFS will delay the broad-based sinking groundline requirement for trap/pot fishermen along the Atlantic coast for an additional six months, from October 5, 2008, to April 5, 2009. Additionally, this final rule will delete the term "neutrally buoyant line" and its associated definition from the ALWTRP regulations.