This project better informs research for improved fishing gear modifications and management decisions to reduce the regulatory burden on the american lobster and jonah crab fisheries, while…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $25.25 million Cooperative Agreement to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) under the Cooperative Research Program (CFDA 11.472) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. The award funds research and management initiatives designed to reduce regulatory burden on the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries while mitigating risks to North Atlantic right whales. The ASMFC will collaborate with Atlantic coastal states to conduct comprehensive research on right whale habitat, consolidate data through integrated modeling systems, and develop improved fishing gear modifications that reduce entanglement risk.

The primary deliverables include enhanced scientific data collection and analysis that will inform evidence-based management decisions with reduced uncertainty, thereby lowering compliance costs for the fishing industry. By streamlining disparate datasets into unified models and implementing targeted gear modifications, this cooperative research project addresses a critical conservation challenge while supporting the economic viability of Atlantic fisheries. The research outcomes will directly support both single-species and ecosystem assessment models used in fisheries management and contribute to the broader national goal of sustainable marine resource management along the Atlantic coast.

This project better informs research for improved fishing gear modifications and management decisions to reduce the regulatory burden on the american lobster and jonah crab fisheries, while maintaining lower risk levels for the north atlantic right whale. The atlantic states marine fisheries commission will work with the atlantic states to conduct research on right whale habitat, streamline data by combining models into one source, and improve modifications to fishing gear. The data collected between the commission and the states will reduce the uncertainty in management decisions leading to a lower risk of impacting right whales and therefore reducing the cost on the fishing industry to comply with regulations.