Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan

Bottlenose Dolphin

The Plan

• Maps of Plan regulated waters and corresponding GIS data
• Amendments to require year-round use of modified pound net leaders in specified waters (80 FR 6925, February 9, 2015)
• Environmental Assessment [PDF]- November 2014
• Amendments to permanently restrict medium mesh gillnet nighttime fishing in NC coastal waters from Nov 1-Apr 30 annually
  (77 FR 45268, July 31, 2012)
• NOAA Fisheries Amends Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan [PDF] (73 FR 77531, December 19, 2008)
• Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (71 FR 24775, April 26, 2006)
• Environmental Assessment [PDF] [1.3 MB]- April 2006

The Team

Commercial Fishery Representatives:

1. Sammy Corbett - North Carolina Gillnet and Crab Pot Fisheries
2. Joey Frost - North Carolina Stop Net Fishery
3. Sonny Gwin - Maryland Gillnet Fishery
4. Kenneth Heath – Virginia Pound Net Fishery
5. Chris Hickman - Long Haul Seine Fishery and North Carolina Gillnet Fisheries
6. Jimmy Hull – Stone Crab Trap/Pot Fishery
7. Raymond King – Florida Blue Crab Trap/Pot Fishery
8. Richard Luedtke - New Jersey Gillnet Fishery
9. Rick Marks - New Jersey Gillnet and Haul Seine Fisheries
10. Peter Nixon - Virginia Gillnet, Beach Seine, Crab Pot, and Pound Net Fisheries
11. Mike Peele - North Carolina Beach Seine, Pound Net, and Gillnet Fisheries
12. Joe Speight - North Carolina Beach Seine Fishery
13. Adam Tyler - North Carolina Gillnet Fishery
14. Leonard Voss - Delaware Gillnet and Crab Pot Fisheries
15. Christopher Walker - Virginia Gillnet Fishery
16. Robert West - North Carolina Gillnet, Pound Net, and Crab Pot Fisheries
17. Drew Willis - North Carolina Recreational Crab Pot and Gillnet Fisheries
18. David Woolman - South Carolina Crab Pot Representative

Council and Interstate Fishery Representatives:

1. Chris Conklin - South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
2. Toni Kerns - Atlantic State Marine Fishery Commission

State and Federal Representatives:

1. Laura Engleby - National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office
2. Mike Greco - Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
3. Dr. Dennis Heinemann - Marine Mammal Commission
4. BJ Hilton - Georgia Department of Natural Resources
5. Kristy Long – National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources
6. Chris McDonough - South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
7. Red Munden - North Carolina Department of Marine Fisheries
8. Tom Pitchford - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
9. Meghan Rickard - New York Department of Environmental Conservation
10. Somers Smott - Virginia Marine Resources Commission
11. Stacy VanMorter - New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
12. Angel Willey - Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Non-Governmental Representatives:

1. Jane Davenport – Defenders of Wildlife
2. Beth Lowell - Oceana
3. Courtney Vail – Lightkeepers Foundation
4. Sharon Young - Humane Society of the United States

Research/Academic Representatives:

1. Dr. Tara Cox – Savannah State University
2. William McLellan - University of North Carolina at Wilmington
3. Dr. Andrew Read - Duke University
4. Mark Swingle - Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center
5. Dr. Randall Wells – Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

Contacts:
Jessica Powell, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Region, Small Cetacean Conservation Coordinator, 727-824-5312.

David Hilton, National Marine Fisheries Service, Fishery Liaison, 252-928-9092.
(*List of Team Members Updated: August 8, 2019)

• Team Recommendations
  • Bottlenose Dolphin TRT submits updated draft take reduction plan to NMFS - May 2003
  • Bottlenose Dolphin TRT submits draft take reduction plan to NMFS - May 200

Recent and Upcoming Meetings

• July 2023 Webinar
  • Presentation [PDF, 40 pages]
  • Key Outcomes Memorandum [PDF, 8 pages]
• December 2017 Meeting - Key Outcomes Memorandum
• September 2017 Webinar - Key Outcomes Memorandum
• November 2015 Webinar - Key Outcomes Memorandum
• March 2014 Webinar Meeting - Key Outcomes Memorandum
• December 2013 Webinar Meeting - Key Outcomes Memorandum
• June 2013 Meeting - Key Outcomes Memorandum
• March 20, 2012 Meeting
  • Conference Call/ Webinar Summary [PDF]
• 2009 Meetings
  • September 9-11, 2009
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
  • March 24, 2009
    • Conference Call/Webinar Summary [PDF]
• 2008 Meeting
• March 18, 2008
  • Conference Call/Webinar Summary [PDF]
• 2007 Meeting
  • June 19-20, 2007: Annapolis, MD
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
• 2005 Meeting
  • January 13-14: Virginia Beach, VA
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
• 2003 Meeting
  • April 1-3: Virginia Beach, VA
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
• 2002 Meetings
  • April 23-25: Baltimore, MD
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
  • March 27-28: Wilmington, NC
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
  • February 27-March 1: Virginia Beach, VA
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
  • January 23-25: Wilmington, NC
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
• 2001 Meetings
  • November 6-8: Virginia Beach, VA
    • Meeting Summary [PDF]
    • --Addendum: PBR Allocation Issue [PDF]
    • --Addendum: Statement of Concern [pdf]
  • July: Raleigh, NC
    • Dolphin-Fishery Interaction Workshop Summary [PDF]
  • May: Atlantic Beach, NC
    • Dolphin-Fishery Interaction Workshop Summary [PDF]

More Information

• More Information from the NMFS Southeast Regional Office
• Take Reduction Planning
• Bottlenose Dolphin Species Information
• Bottlenose Dolphin Stock Assessment Reports
• 2021 Bottlenose Dolphin Research Workshop Summary [PDF, 121 pages]
• Review of Coastal Bottlenose Dolphin Bycatch Mortality Estimates in Relation to the Potential Effectiveness of the Proposed Plan [PDF]
  • Figures and Tables [PDF] [593 KB]
• Federal Register Notice to Conduct an Environmental Assessment [PDF]

Contact

Jessica Powell

National Marine Fisheries Service

Southeast Region

727-824-5312