OCEAN CITY, Md. - Commercial fishermen on Delmarva will have an opportunity later this summer to attend a NOAA Fisheries workshop in Ocean City focused on the safe handling and release of protected marine species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced a series of free Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Safe Handling, Release and Identification Workshops scheduled around the country. One of those sessions will be held in Ocean City in July, according to NOAA.
NOAA Fisheries says the workshops are designed to teach fishermen proper techniques for safely handling and releasing protected species that may become entangled in fishing gear or accidentally hooked. Species covered include sea turtles, marine mammals, Atlantic sturgeon, smalltooth sawfish, and prohibited shark species.
The training is required for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear and hold certain federal shark or swordfish permits, according to federal officials. Participants who complete the workshop receive a certificate that is required to maintain compliance with federal regulations.
NOAA says the workshops are intended to reduce the mortality of protected species, improve species identification and reporting, and help fishermen better understand federal requirements associated with highly migratory species fisheries. The agency says those efforts can help avoid additional regulations on the fisheries in the future.
Ocean City’s workshop is currently scheduled for July 1 at the Residence Inn by Marriott Ocean City from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Workshops are free, but NOAA recommends participants register in advance. Additional information and registration details are available through NOAA Fisheries.
