Incidental Take Authorization: NOAA Fisheries PIFSC Fisheries and Ecosystem Research Activities in the Pacific Ocean
Summary
NMFS’ Office of Protected Resources, upon request from NMFS’ Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted in multiple specified geographical regions over the course of 5 years. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. Upon publication of this final rule, NMFS will issue an LOA to PIFSC for the effective period of the final rule.
Federal Register
Supporting Materials
- Letter of Authorization (pdf, 14 pages)
- Final FONSI (pdf, 7 pages)
- Programmatic Environmental Assessment (pdf, 425 pages)
- Biological Opinion (pdf, 165 pages)
- Public Comments, Proposed Rulemaking (on Regulations.gov)
- Public Comment, Notice of Receipt (pdf, 6 pages)
- LOA Application (pdf, 216 pages)
- References (pdf, 10 pages)