The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a permit to allow certain commercial fisheries to incidentally capture endangered marine mammals, specifically targeting humpback whale stocks, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This permit, effective for three years, applies to the sablefish pot fishery in Washington, Oregon, and California. The permit includes the requirement that these fisheries have a monitoring program and adhere to a take reduction plan, all of which are in place or being developed to ensure that incidental harm to the whales has minimal impact on their populations. Concerns from environmental groups about the effect of the permit and the lack of certain safeguards have been considered, but the NMFS has determined that the fisheries' operations, as regulated, meet the necessary conditions to minimize harm.
Simple Explanation
The government is letting special fishing boats in three states use traps to catch fish, even if they might accidentally catch some big whales, as long as they follow rules to make sure the whales are safe. They have to promise to watch out for the whales and find ways to keep them safe.