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Seasonal management areas to reduce ship strikes of northern right whales in the Gulf of Maine
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2005
[PDF-668.18 KB]
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Description:Northeast Fisheries Science Center staff evaluated the spatial and temporal distribution of northern right whales (Eubalena glacialis) within the Gulf of Maine to develop potential management areas to reduce ship strikes of these whales. The following management areas coupled with routing and speed restrictions should decrease the risk of right whale ship strikes in the Gulf of Maine: 1. A Cape Cod Bay Seasonal Management Area (SMA) to be coterminous with the existing Cape Cod Bay critical habitat (January 1- May 15). 2. A Gulf of Maine SMA extending eastward from Massachusetts Bay (70.50° W) to the Hague Line, and southward from 42.50° N to the Cape Cod Bay SMA and the southern edge of the Great South Channel critical habitat area. Time period for this SMA would be March 1 - July 31. If further temporal structuring of the SMA is desired then it could be split as follows: a. A Western Seasonal Management Area extending from Massachusetts Bay (70.50° W) eastward to 69.40° W, and from 42.50° N southward to the Cape Cod Bay SMA and Great South Channel critical habitat areas (March 1 - April 30) b. An Eastern Seasonal Management Area extending from 69.75° W eastward to the Hague line, and from 42.50° N southward to the southern edge of the Great South Channel critical habitat area (April 1 - July 31) 3. A modified Boston Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) which includes moving the existing East-West leg of the lanes further north, and adding a new North-South TSS as a spur from the existing TSS. Realignment of the existing Boston TSS has the potential to reduce interactions between ships and large whales along the northern portion of the TSS by 50% or more by directing shipping traffic away from seasonal large whale concentrations within the existing TSS.
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Content Notes:by Richard L. Merrick.
"December 2005."
System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Includes bibliographical references (page 7).
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Rights Information:Public Domain
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