All Protected Resources Regulations & Actions
Negligible Impact Determinations and MMPA Section 101(a)(5)(E) Authorization for Commercial Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries is issuing permits for a period of 3 years to authorize the incidental, but not intentional, take of specific Endangered Species Act-listed marine mammal species or stocks under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, in certain U.S. commercial…
- Final MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Authorization Federal Register Notice (86 FR 24384, May…
- Federal Register Notice (85 FR 62709, October 5, 2020)
- Final MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands flatfish t…
- Final MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands pollock tr…
- Final MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - AK Gulf of Alaska Sablefish Longline Fishe…
- Final MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - HI Deep-set Longline Fishery
- Final MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - Atlantic Large Pelagics Longline Fishery
- Proposed MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands flatfis…
- Proposed MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands pollock…
- Proposed MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - AK Gulf of Alaska Sablefish Longline Fi…
- Proposed MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - HI Deep-set Longline Fishery
- Proposed MMPA 101(a)(5)(E) Evaluation - Atlantic Large Pelagics Longline Fishery
Effective
05/06/2021
Incidental Take Authorization: Oil and Gas Industry Geophysical Survey Activity in the Gulf of Mexico
NOAA Fisheries, upon request from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), has issued regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activities conducted by oil and gas industry operators, and…
- Final Rule
- Correction- Final Rule
- Paperwork Reduction Act Information Collection Request
- Proposed Rule
- Notice of Receipt of Application for Incidental Take Regulations
- Application for Incidental Take Regulations (pdf, 192 pages)
- Application Addendum- BOEM Notice to NMFS of Revised Scope of Action (pdf, 4 pa…
- Application Addendum- BOEM Revised Acoustic Exposure Estimates (pdf, 17 pages)
- Application Addendum- BOEM Revised Action Area Map (pdf, 1 page)
- Acoustic Modelling Report (pdf, 385 pages)
- Acoustic Modeling Report Addendum (pdf, 6 pages)
- Cumulative and Chronic Effects Report (pdf, 50 pages)
- Cumulative and Chronic Effects Report Addendum (pdf, 12 pages)
- Gulf of Mexico Acoustic Exposure Model Variable Analysis (pdf, 171 pages)
- Expert Working Group Report (Southall et al., 2017) (pdf, 26 pages)
- Public Comments Received on Notice of Receipt (pdf, 195 pages)
- Public Comments Received on Proposed Rule
- Regulatory Impact Analysis- Proposed Rule (pdf, 209 pages)
- Regulatory Impact Analysis- Final Rule (pdf, 117 pages)
- Regulatory Impact Analysis Appendices- Final Rule (pdf, 70 pages)
- References Cited (pdf, 45 pages)
- Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
- Record of Decision (pdf, 11 pages)
- Biological Opinion
- Final Rule (pdf, 462 pages) Initially posted 12/8/2020.
Effective
04/19/2021
MMPA List of Fisheries for 2021
NOAA Fisheries publishes its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2021, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The LOF for 2021 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NOAA Fisheries must…
Effective
02/16/2021
Incidental Take Authorization: South Quay Wall Recapitalization Project, Naval Station Mayport, Florida
NOAA Fisheries received a request from the United States Navy (Navy) for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the change being a modification to the effective dates. The initial IHA authorizes take of one…
Effective
01/01/2021
Proposed Rule to Amend the Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan
NOAA Fisheries is proposing to amend the regulations implementing the Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan. The proposed rule would (1) remove the CHSRA and its special observer and research participation requirements; (2) modify the mainline length…
Published
12/15/2020
Nominations to the Marine Mammal Scientific Review Groups
As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Secretary of Commerce established three independent regional scientific review groups (SRGs) to provide advice on a range of marine mammal science and management issues. NOAA Fisheries will continue…
Published
09/03/2020
Permit Application to Import 5 Beluga Whales for Scientific Research (File No. 22629, Mystic Aquarium)
On December 23, 2020, NOAA Fisheries issued a minor amendment to Permit No. 22629 and approved Mystic’s breeding prevention plan (hereafter the ‘plan’). The minor amendment authorizes the substitution of three beluga whales for…
- Permit No. 22629-01 Minor Amendment (PDF, 6 pages)
- NOAA Fisheries Approval of the Breeding Prevention Plan (PDF, 3 pages)
- Permit No. 22629-01 and Plan Recommendation Memo (PDF, 7 pages)
- Mystic’s submitted Plan and Minor Amendment Request (PDF, 40 pages)
- Permit No. 22629 with Appendices (PDF, 29 pages)
- Recommendation Memorandum (PDF, 48 pages)
- Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (PDF, 64 pages)
- Mystic Responses – Acoustic Study (PDF, 18 pages)
- Mystic Responses –Objectives, Justification, and Methods (PDF, 22 pages)
- Mystic Responses – Take Numbers and Additional Questions (PDF, 8 pages)
- Mystic Responses – Issuance Criteria (PDF, 45 pages)
- Mystic Responses – Final Questions (PDF, 2 pages)
- Mystic Acoustic Technical Guidance User Spreadsheet (PDF, 9 pages)
- 22629 Revised Final Application (PDF, 80 pages)
- Appendix 1 Addendum: Memorandum of Understanding between Georgia and Mystic, Up…
- Appendix 8 Addendum: Mystic IACUC Minutes (PDF, 7 pages)
- Appendix 11 Addendum: USDA Research Registration, Updated (PDF, 1 page)
- 22629 Public Hearing Transcript (PDF, 141 pages)
- 22629 Application (PDF, 78 pages)
- 22629 Application Signature Page (PDF, 1 page)
- 22629 Application Take Tables (PDF, 5 pages)
- Appendix 1: Memorandum of Understanding between Georgia and Mystic (PDF, 3 page…
- Appendix 2: Mystic Beluga Workshop Program (PDF, 95 pages)
- Appendix 3: Mystic Publications (PDF, 21 pages)
- Appendix 4: Beluga Genetic Test Report (PDF, 2 pages)
- Appendix 5: Mystic IACUC Approved Protocols (PDF, 119 pages)
- Appendix 6: References (PDF, 9 pages)
- Appendix 7: Mystic Scientists in Residence 2019 (PDF, 4 pages)
- Appendix 8: Mystic IACUC Overview (PDF, 2 pages)
- Appendix 9: Mystic Grants & Funding History (PDF, 3 pages)
- Appendix 10: Mystic Aquarium Resources (PDF, 2 pages)
- Appendix 11: USDA Licenses & Inspections (PDF, 7 pages)
- Appendix 12: Mystic Veterinarian Statement (PDF, 1 page)
- Appendix 13: Georgia Aquarium Facility Description (PDF, 3 pages)
- Appendix 14: Transport Map and Georgia Aquarium Facility Map (PDF, 2 pages)
- Appendix 15: Georgia Aquarium Transport Plan (PDF, 3 pages)
- Appendix 16: Marineland of Canada Assurance (PDF, 2 pages)
Issued
Incidental Take Authorization: Rio Grande LNG, LLC (Rio Grande) LNG Terminal Construction in the Brownsville Ship Channel in Cameron County, Texas
NOAA Fisheries has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Rio Grande LNG LLC, authorizing the take of small numbers of marine mammals incidental to the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Brownsville Ship…
Effective
07/01/2020
Criteria for Determining Negligible Impact under MMPA Section 101(a)(5)(E)
NOAA Fisheries finalized the Procedural Directive: Criteria for Determining Negligible Impact under MMPA Section 101(a)(5)(E).
MMPA section 101(a)(5)(E) and our implementing regulations (50 CFR 229.20) allow NOAA Fisheries to authorize the incidental…
Published
06/22/2020
Incidental Take Authorization: NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center Fisheries Research Activities
NOAA Fisheries' Office of Protected Resources (OPR), upon request from NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), issued regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted in the…
- Issued LOA (pdf, 18 pages)
- LOA Application (pdf, 223 pages)
- Notice of Receipt Public Comments (pdf, 27 pages)
- Proposed Rule Public Comments
- Marine Mammal Commission Proposed Rule Comments (pdf, 14 pages)
- Biological Opinion (pdf, 428 pages)
- Biological Opinion Amendment (pdf, 11 pages)
- Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) (pdf, 444 pages)
- Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) Appendices (pdf, 140 pages)
- Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) (pdf, 19 pages)
- References (pdf, 12 pages)
Effective
06/05/2020