University Gets Permit for Accidental Sea Turtle Encounters in Fish Research
Published Date: 5/7/2026
Notice
Summary
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth got a special permit to accidentally interact with endangered sea turtles and sturgeon while doing their fish surveys. This means they can continue their important research without breaking the law, as long as they follow strict rules to protect these animals. The permit helps balance science and conservation, with no extra costs for the public and ongoing protections in place.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Conservation Plan Funding and Conditions
SMAST committed to implement monitoring, minimization, and mitigation measures including trained observers, safe handling and release procedures, and data reporting. The estimated cost to implement the conservation plan is $100,000, and the associated project developer will provide funding to SMAST to cover the surveys and conservation plan implementation.
10‑Year Incidental Take Permit Issued
The National Marine Fisheries Service issued a 10-year incidental take permit to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST). The permit authorizes incidental takes during otherwise lawful fisheries survey activities within and adjacent to the MA/RI Wind Energy Area in southern New England offshore waters, with authorizations calculated in rolling 2-year intervals.
Specific Authorized Take Limits
The permit sets numeric non-lethal take limits by species: Atlantic sturgeon — up to 10 takes per 2-year interval and 50 takes over the 10-year permit; green, Kemp's ridley, leatherback, and loggerhead sea turtles — up to 2 takes per 2-year interval and 10 takes over the 10-year permit each. Atlantic sturgeon takes are apportioned approximately as: New York Bight 55.3%, Chesapeake 22.9%, South Atlantic 13.6%, Carolina 5.8%, and Gulf of Maine 2.4%.
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