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Rule2025-24203

Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing Operations; Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan; Change to Gillnet Gear Requirements

Primary source

Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.

Published
January 2, 2026
Effective
January 2, 2026

Issuing agencies

Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Abstract

NMFS is taking a deregulatory action to revise the regulations implementing the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan (HPTRP) to ensure the HPTRP is consistent with a gillnet gear requirement previously put in place under the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan to reduce bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon. This action is necessary to inform the public about an amendment to the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan altering the minimum twine size requirement to ensure that fishermen may use the low-profile gillnet gear required by the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan and also be in compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act while fishing in the New Jersey Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch Reduction Area.

Indexed from Federal Register on January 2, 2026.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.