The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) has approved the use of ropeless fishing gear, also known as on-demand gear, in its black sea bass fishery, which spans the U.S. coastline from the state of North Carolina to Florida.
The new gear aims to reduce instances of right whale entanglements. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most critically endangered species in the world, with an estimated 372 individuals remaining.
Currently, the South Atlantic black sea bass fishery, a pot fishery that uses pot traps resting on the bottom of the ocean and a vertical line with a buoy attached for retrieval, closes two areas each year during the right whale calving season to avoid entanglements. The new regulations to use on-demand gear would mean fishers using the equipment will no longer be subject to these closures, as eliminating the permanent vertical lines would eliminate much of the risk.
On-demand gear still uses ropes, but the lines only deploy when the traps receive a signal from the fisher using a transmitter on board their vessel. Those who wish to use traditional gear will still be allowed to, but only outside of the calving areas, while those using ropeless gear will have permanent access to the whole fishery.
Nonprofit Oceana celebrated the council’s decision, saying in a release that this approval was a “win-win for whales and fishers.”
“As our ocean managers expand the adoption of ropeless gear technology, these whales will be much better protected from deadly entanglements,” the nonprofit said. “The council’s thoughtful consideration and research-backed decision-making will pave the way for a thriving black sea bass fishery. Today’s decision is a great example for other fishery managers on how to modernize their operations to safeguard North Atlantic right whales while supporting fishers.”
Now that the council has approved the authorization, the approval will move to NOAA Fisheries for final review and approval.
Advocates have touted on-demand gear as both safer for animal life and more cost-effective for fishers, since it prevents the loss of costly gear that is destroyed when entanglements occur.
As part of the process toward approval, SAFMC tested on-demand fishing gear throughout its fishery. The studies showed that ropeless gear was effective at preventing entanglements without impacting black sea bass catch.