The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has released the final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2021 as part of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requirements. This list classifies commercial fisheries based on their interactions with marine mammals, categorizing them into three groups based on the potential for causing injury or death to these animals. The classifications help determine fishery participants' obligations, such as registering for observer coverage. Additionally, the NMFS reviewed comments from the public and organizations, resulting in some fisheries being reclassified and updates to the list of species that are incidentally harmed by these fisheries.
Simple Explanation
The National Marine Fisheries Service made a rule about which fishing businesses need to be careful around sea animals like dolphins and whales, so they don't get hurt or killed by accident. This rule helps decide what things the fishing businesses need to do, like having someone watch their fishing activities.