US judge overturns closure of Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge to commercial fishing

Fresh Common Lobster

Frozen Crab

Seafood

United States

Regulation & Compliances

Published Mar 20, 2024

Tridge summary

A federal judge has overturned a 2023 law restricting lobster and Jonah crab fishing off Massachusetts, which was enacted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to protect whales. The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association had argued that the law, known as the Massachusetts wedge rule, was subject to congressional limits on whale-protection measures. The judge agreed, rendering the rule void and unenforceable until the end of 2028. As a result, the NMFS announced that the closure of the MRA Wedge is no longer in effect.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

A federal judge has overturned restrictions on lobster and Jonah crab fishing off the U.S. state of Massachusetts, ruling that a 2023 law restricting fishing gear to protect whales applies to an emergency rule enacted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).That emergency rule entailed NMFS seeking to extend 2022-23 area closures in the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge, making late winter and spring gear restrictions permanent when endangered North Atlantic right whales are often in the area.The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association filed a lawsuit on 9 February, contending that congressional limits on whale-protection measures applied to the new Massachusetts wedge rule.The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 included a five-year mandate that NMFS’s existing Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan amendments “shall be deemed sufficient to ensure that the continued federal and state authorizations of the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries are in full ...

Source: Seafoodsource