Whale and dolphin conservation, and their partners have worked under a joint exempted fishing permit (EFP) to trial on-demand fishing with commercial lobster fishermen with the goal of providing a…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a Cooperative Agreement of $258,527 to Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Inc. on July 1, 2026, under the Cooperative Research Program (CFDA 11.472) to support software upgrades and integration work for on-demand fishing systems designed to reduce North Atlantic right whale entanglement risk.

Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Inc. and partners have conducted trials of acoustic-release fishing gear under a joint Exempted Fishing Permit, enabling commercial lobster fishermen to access seasonally restricted areas while minimizing entanglement risk to right whales. The systems digitally mark gear locations and use acoustic signals to release retrieval ropes or airbags, surfacing traps only when the fishing vessel is present. The project funds improvements to user applications developed by various manufacturers and integration of those applications into chart plotter systems. Software upgrades will enhance app performance and usability while enabling integration into existing chart plotters, addressing two key components identified as critical to commercial viability. Progress in software upgrades and chart plotter integration will be presented at the annual meeting of the Ropeless Consortium.

Performance occurs in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with a period of performance extending from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027.

Whale and dolphin conservation, and their partners have worked under a joint exempted fishing permit (EFP) to trial on-demand fishing with commercial lobster fishermen with the goal of providing a viable alternative for fishermen to access seasonal restricted areas without significantly increasing entanglement risk to right whales. These fishing systems digitally mark gear locations and use acoustic signals to release a retrieval rope or airbag, lifting the gear to the surface only when the fishing vessel is on site. While trials have successfully demonstrated the ability of an acoustic release to bring traps to the surface, two key components in commercial viability relies on improved performance of the user applications (apps) used by various manufacturers and the integration of those apps into chart plotters. This project would support the need for software upgrades that improve APP performance while also integrating the apps into chart plotter systems. In a final review of the project, progress in software upgrades which improve usability as well as improve integration into chart plotters would be presented at the annual meeting of the ropeless consortium (ropeless.ORG).