The critically endangered north atlantic right whale (narw) uses SE inshore waters as winter calving grounds and transit areas

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Sustainable Seas Technology Inc. a $599,998 two-year Project Grant under the Fisheries Development and Utilization Research and Development Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program (CFDA 11.427). The grant will support testing of subsea buoy retrieval systems in three Southeastern states to provide a detailed performance analysis and economic effectiveness evaluation of ropeless fishing gear configurations. Project partners will test approved gear during winter closures in designated experimental fishing areas. The testing aims to determine best practices for adopting ropeless systems that allow fishermen to utilize preferred inshore fishing grounds for black sea bass during winter when whales are present, while reducing entanglement risks to protected species such as North Atlantic right whales. Outcomes may enable year-round utilization of critical fishing grounds in a sustainable manner.

Historically, black sea bass (BSB) pot fishing in the southeast US took place inshore during winter, when cooler water temperatures increased the quality of BSB and provided the highest yields. Vertical end lines & buoys, such as those used in this fishery, present entanglement risks to whales and sea turtles. Adopting subsea buoy retrieval systems (sbrs), or "ropeless" systems, could allow fishers to utilize preferred inshore fishing grounds when BSB is most plentiful and of the best quality, and whales are present. Project partners from three states will test approved gear during the winter closure period in specific "experimental fishing areas" to provide a more detailed performance analysis of the devices and an economic effectiveness analysis of various gears and configurations. We will determine best prac