Proposed Designation of Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary

This page contains information related to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s engagement in, and comments on, the proposed designation of Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary. Visit NOAA’s designation web page for additional details and updates.

Background

Hudson Canyon

The Hudson Canyon is the largest submarine canyon along the U.S. Atlantic coast and is one of the largest in the world. Beginning approximately 100 miles southeast of New York City, the canyon extends about 350 miles seaward, reaches depths of 2 to 2.5 miles, and is up to 7.5 miles wide. Hudson Canyon's grand scale and diverse structure—steep slopes, firm outcrops, diverse sediments, flux of nutrients, and areas of upwelling—make it an ecological hotspot for a vast array of marine wildlife (source).

General Area Under Consideration (click to expand). The above graphic illustrates the sanctuary boundaries proposed in the WCS sanctuary nomination. This does not represent an official boundary proposal. Source: WCS presentation to Council (April 2017).

Sanctuary Nomination

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to designate and protect as national marine sanctuaries areas of the marine environment that are of special national significance. In November 2016, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) submitted a nomination to NOAA through the Sanctuary Nomination Process, asking NOAA to consider designating the Hudson Canyon area as a national marine sanctuary. In February 2017, NOAA added the area to the inventory of successful nominations that are eligible for designation. In February 2022, NOAA completed a 5-year review and determined the Hudson Canyon NMS nomination will remain on the inventory until at least February 2027.

Designation Process

In June 2022, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) announced their intent to hold a scoping process and prepare a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) to consider designating a national marine sanctuary in the Hudson Canyon area. Sanctuary designation is a highly participatory process that typically takes 3-5 years. Details are available at the links below.

Council Comments on Hudson Canyon Sanctuary Designation

The Hudson Canyon is one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s most important commercial and recreational fishing grounds. The Council has already taken significant steps to safeguard the area’s unique biological and physical resources through the designation of the Frank R. Lautenberg Deep Sea Coral Protection Area. Within this roughly 100,000 km2 area, which includes the Hudson Canyon, vessels are prohibited from using bottom-tending commercial fishing gear which could harm sensitive deep sea habitats. While the Council supports many of the WCS proposal’s conservation objectives, particularly usage of the sanctuary designation to protect the Hudson Canyon from possible offshore drilling impacts, the Council has concerns that sanctuary designation could undermine or interfere with the fishery management process and create conflicting or competing management objectives for fisheries within the sanctuary.

Comment Letters

Next Steps - 304(a)(5) Consultation

Separate from the public scoping process, the NMSA requires that NOAA consult with the relevant Regional Fishery Management Councils during the designation process for a sanctuary. In a letter dated July 7, 2022, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries stated:

“As part of our scoping process, and pursuant to section 304(a)(5) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA, 16 U.S.C. § 1434(a)(5)), we are seeking input from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) on whether the Council may deem it necessary to prepare draft regulations for fishing within the Exclusive Economic Zone to implement the proposed sanctuary designation…

Under NMSA section 304(a)(5), the Council may take one of three actions: 1) recommend draft fishing regulations for the proposed sanctuary; 2) recommend that fishing regulations are not necessary; or 3) choose not to act on the matter.”

The Council submitted its comments on January 24, 2023.

Documents and Resources

MAFMC Staff Contact: Kiley Dancy, kdancy@mafmc.org