NOAA Award Number: NA09NMF450423
Amount of Federal Funding: $3,000,000
For more information visit: http://www.groundlineexchange.com/
Scope of Work:
The “Groundline/Exchange Conversion Plan – 2009” is a plan to administer a financial assistance program for actively fishing lobstermen to convert to sinking groundlines as mandated in rules issued by NOAA/NMFS (Final Rule 72 FR 57104 - October 2007) in accordance with the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. The plan targets two users groups:
- Lobster fishermen residing in the state of Rhode Island fishing in Lobster Management Area 2; and
- Lobster fishermen actively fishing in Lobster Management Area 3.
The plan, to be administered by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation, was approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service and is based on eligibility criteria developed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM) for Area 2 RI, and by the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association (AOLA) for Area 3, and from input received from members of the commercial lobster industry and rope suppliers. The intended length of the program is one year from the start date (October 2009).
