Scientific Representative on Take Reduction Teams
Damon Gannon, PhD

Damon Gannon was asked by the National Marine Fisheries Service to serve as a scientific representative to two marine mammal take reduction teams, the Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Team and the Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Team. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the government is required to form Take Reduction Teams (TRTs) for commercial fisheries that accidentally kill or injure marine mammals. Take reduction teams are composed of experts and stakeholders—representatives from the fishing industry, environmental organizations, government agencies, and the scientific community—who work collaboratively to develop strategies for reducing bycatch of marine mammals. Both teams have been convened to develop plans for reducing the unintended catch of long-finned (Globicephala melas) and short-finned (G. macrorhynchus) pilot whales. The Pelagic Longline TRT released a Take Reduction Plan in May 2006, which is currently being reviewed by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Atlantic Trawl Gear TRT held its first meeting in September 2006 and must approve a draft Take Reduction Plan by August 2007. Once each Take Reduction Plan goes into effect, the affected fisheries have five years in which to reduce pilot whale mortality and serious injury to "insignificant levels approaching zero." The TRTs will meet periodically during this five-year period to assess whether the plan is working satisfactorily and to make any changes that may become necessary.