NOAA Fisheries is forming a task force to mitigate deadly humpback whale entanglements in commercial fishing gear along the West Coast, following a court order that faulted the agency for years of inaction.
The agency said Friday it will convene a “take reduction team” by Nov. 30 to develop new regulations aimed at reducing whale deaths and serious injuries in the sablefish pot fishery, which stretches from Washington state to California, according to a notice in the Federal Register.
The fishery is one of several known to ensnare whales in vertical trap lines. The group will hold its first meeting Nov. 20.
The move stems from a 2022 lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the environmental group that challenged the government’s failure to include safeguards for endangered whales. A federal district court judge ruled in 2023 that the agency “cannot indefinitely delay” developing protections for humpback whales while continuing to authorize fishing that could incidentally harm them.
