Draft 2024 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports, 13344-13346 [2025-04861]
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 54 / Friday, March 21, 2025 / Notices
TABLE 2—PROJECT SUMMARY—Continued
Duration of tows or sets .....................................
Project Narrative
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
The purpose of this survey is to
provide fishery-independent data on
lobster and Jonah crab growth and
abundance within Massachusetts State
waters of statistical areas 514 and 538.
MA DMF funds this lobster abundance
survey through their commercial and
recreational lobster license fees. This
survey has occurred annually since
2006. At least one MA DMF scientist
would be on board for the sampling
trips. MA DMF personnel would not be
on board when traps are baited and
deployed. Exemptions would not
substantively change vessel operations.
All catch during sampling trips would
be retained temporarily to collect
biological data. MA DMF staff may
collect lobster and/or Jonah crab,
including undersized, oversized, vnotched, and egg-bearing lobsters.
Collected samples would be used for
research projects on growth and
maturity. No catch from the
experimental traps would be landed for
sale. All gear would be Atlantic Large
Whale Take Reduction Plan compliant.
Each trawl consists of six traps, with
three vented and three ventless traps
alternated along the string. Survey traps
would be tagged as, ‘‘MA DMF Ventless
Traps.’’
If approved, the applicant may
request minor modifications and
extensions to the EFP throughout the
year. EFP modifications and extensions
may be granted without further notice if
they are deemed essential to facilitate
completion of the proposed research
and have minimal impacts that do not
change the scope or impact of the
initially approved EFP request. Any
fishing activity conducted outside the
scope of the exempted fishing activity
would be prohibited.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Dated: March 18, 2025.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
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3 day soak.
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Draft 2024 Marine Mammal Stock
Assessment Reports
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments
and new information.
AGENCY:
NMFS reviewed the Alaska,
Atlantic, and Pacific regional marine
mammal stock assessment reports (SAR)
in accordance with the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA). SARs for
marine mammals in the Alaska,
Atlantic, and Pacific regions were
revised to include new information.
NMFS is soliciting public comments on
the draft 2024 SARs and requesting new
information for strategic stocks that
were not updated in 2024.
DATES: Comments must be received by
June 20, 2025.
ADDRESSES: The 2024 draft SARs are
available in electronic form via the
internet at https://www.fisheries.
noaa.gov/national/marine-mammalprotection/draft-marine-mammal-stockassessment-reports.
You may submit comments or new
information, identified by NOAA–
NMFS–2025–0019, via electronic
submission through the Federal eRulemaking Portal:
Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
https://www.regulations.gov and type
NOAA–NMFS–2025–0019 in the Search
box (note: copying and pasting the
FDMS Docket Number directly from this
document may not yield search results).
Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete
the required fields, and enter or attach
your comments.
Instructions: NMFS may not consider
comments if they are sent by any other
method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the end of
the comment period. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted for public
viewing on www.regulations.gov
without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.),
confidential business information, or
SUMMARY:
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otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. NMFS will
accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/
A’’ in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Zachary Schakner, Office of Science and
Technology, 301–427–8106,
Zachary.Schakner@noaa.gov; Nancy
Young, 206–526–4297, Nancy.Young@
noaa.gov, regarding Alaska regional
stock assessments; Jessica McCordic,
508–495–2396, jessica.mccordic@
noaa.gov, regarding Atlantic regional
stock assessments; or Jim Carretta, 858–
546–7171, Jim.Carretta@noaa.gov,
regarding Pacific regional stock
assessments.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 117 of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.
1361 et seq.) requires NMFS and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
to prepare stock assessments for each
stock of marine mammals occurring in
waters under the jurisdiction of the
United States. These SARs must contain
information regarding the distribution
and abundance of the stock, population
growth rates and trends, estimates of
annual human-caused mortality and
serious injury (M/SI) from all sources,
descriptions of the fisheries with which
the stock interacts, and the status of the
stock. Initial SARs were completed in
1995.
The MMPA requires NMFS and
USFWS to review the SARs at least
annually for strategic stocks and stocks
for which significant new information is
available and at least once every three
years for non-strategic stocks. The term
‘‘strategic stock’’ means a marine
mammal stock: (A) for which the level
of direct human-caused mortality
exceeds the potential biological removal
level or PBR (defined by the MMPA as
the maximum number of animals, not
including natural mortalities, that may
be removed from a marine mammal
stock while allowing that stock to reach
or maintain its optimum sustainable
population); (B) which, based on the
best available scientific information, is
declining and is likely to be listed as a
threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) within
the foreseeable future; or (C) which is
listed as a threatened species or
endangered species under the ESA or is
designated as depleted under the
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 54 / Friday, March 21, 2025 / Notices
MMPA. NMFS and USFWS are required
to revise a SAR if the review indicates
that the status of the stock has changed
or can be more accurately determined.
In order to ensure that marine
mammal SARs include the best
scientific information available at the
time of publication, the updated SARs
under NMFS’ jurisdiction are peerreviewed within NMFS’ Science Centers
and by members of three regional
independent scientific review groups
established under the MMPA to
independently advise NMFS and
USFWS. As a result of the time involved
in the assessment of new scientific
information, revision, and peer-review
of the SARs, the period covered by the
2024 draft SARs is generally 2018
through 2022.
NMFS reviewed the SARs of all
strategic stocks and considered whether
significant new information was
available for all other stocks under
NMFS’ jurisdiction. As a result of this
review, NMFS revised or developed
new reports for 21 stocks in the Alaska,
Atlantic, and Pacific regions. The 2024
revisions to the SARs consist primarily
of updated or revised human-caused M/
SI estimates and updated abundance
estimates.
NMFS solicits public comments on
the draft 2024 SARs. To ensure NMFS
is aware of new information relevant to
all strategic stocks, NMFS also requests
new information for strategic stocks that
were not updated in 2024. Specifically,
new relevant information could include
peer-reviewed information on humancaused M/SI, fishery interactions,
abundance, distribution, population
structure, and other information on
emerging concerns for strategic stocks
that could be incorporated into the
SARs.
Alaska Reports
NMFS reviewed new information for
35 existing stocks (including all of the
13345
strategic stocks) in the Alaska Region for
the 2024 SAR cycle and revised
information for five stocks contained in
five SARs under NMFS’ jurisdiction:
Three strategic stocks (Eastern Pacific
stock of northern fur seals, Cook Inlet
stock of beluga whales, and Gulf of
Alaska stock of harbor porpoise) and
two non-strategic stocks (Bristol Bay
stock of beluga whales and Bering Sea
stock of harbor porpoise). In the 2024
draft SAR, the Bering Sea stock of
harbor porpoise is no longer considered
‘‘strategic,’’ as a result of an analysis
using new guidance (NMFS 2023) on
determining strategic status when a
minimum population abundance
estimate is unavailable and information
on human-caused M/SI is incomplete.
Information on the remaining Alaska
region stocks can be found in the final
2023 SARs (Young et al. 2024).
A list of the new or revised SARs in
2024 for the Alaska region is presented
in table 1.
TABLE 1—LIST OF MARINE MAMMAL SARS IN THE ALASKA REGION REVISED IN 2024
Strategic stocks
Non-strategic stocks
• Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific * .......................................................
• Beluga whale, Cook Inlet * ....................................................................
• Harbor porpoise, Gulf of Alaska ...........................................................
• Beluga whale, Bristol Bay.*
• Harbor porpoise, Bering Sea.
* Includes updated abundance estimates.
Atlantic Reports
In 2024, NMFS reviewed all stocks in
the Atlantic region under NMFS’
jurisdiction for new information. Eleven
stocks from the Western North Atlantic
were revised (table 2), primarily with
updated abundance estimates, and some
were also updated with recent bycatch
estimates. NMFS is not revising the SAR
for the Gulf of Maine stock of humpback
whales. Since the last revision of this
SAR in 2019, NMFS has been reviewing
and considering the implications of
recent information on stock structure of
humpback whales in the North Atlantic.
In addition, NMFS is not revising the
North Atlantic right whale (NARW) SAR
since the final 2023 NARW SAR (89 FR
104989, Dec. 26, 2024) incorporated best
available scientific information
available to date on NARW population
abundance and human-caused mortality
and serious injury of the stock. While
not yet reflected in the draft 2024 SAR
revisions, pursuant to Executive Order
14172 Restoring Names that Honor
American Greatness (January 20, 2025),
NMFS will be revising relevant SARs to
reflect the renaming of the ‘‘Gulf of
Mexico’’ to the ‘‘Gulf of America’’ in
future SAR revisions.
A list of the new or revised SARs in
2024 for the Atlantic region is presented
in table 2. Information on the remaining
Atlantic region stocks can be found in
the final 2023 SARs (Hayes et al. 2024).
TABLE 2—LIST OF MARINE MAMMAL SARS IN THE ATLANTIC REGION REVISED IN 2024
Strategic stocks
Non-strategic stocks
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• WNA # common bottlenose dolphin, Biscayne Bay Stock * .................
• WNA Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphin, South Carolina/Georgia Coastal Stock 2.
• WNA Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphin, Northern Florida Coastal
Stock *.
• WNA Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphin, Central Florida Coastal Stock *
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Harbor porpoise, Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy.*
Cuvier’s beaked whale, Western North Atlantic.
Blainville’s beaked whale, Western North Atlantic.
Gervais’ beaked whale, Western North Atlantic.
Sowerby’s beaked whale, Western North Atlantic.
True’s beaked whale, Western North Atlantic.
Gray seal, Western North Atlantic.*
# Western North Atlantic = WNA.
* Includes updated abundance estimates.
Pacific Reports
In 2024, NMFS reviewed all 85 stocks
in the Pacific region (waters along the
U.S. West Coast, within waters
surrounding the main and Northwestern
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Hawaiian Islands, and within waters
surrounding U.S. territories in the
Western Pacific) for new information
and revised five stocks contained in five
SARs under NMFS’ jurisdiction: three
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strategic stocks (Monk seal, Guadalupe
fur seal, and Eastern North Pacific
Southern Resident killer whale) and two
non-strategic stocks (California breeding
Northern elephant seal and California
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 54 / Friday, March 21, 2025 / Notices
Northern fur seal). A list of revised
SARs in 2024 for the Pacific region is
presented in table 3. Information on the
remaining Pacific region stocks can be
found in the final 2023 SARs (Carretta
et al. 2024).
TABLE 3—LIST OF MARINE MAMMAL SARS IN THE PACIFIC REGION REVISED IN 2024
Strategic stocks
Non-strategic stocks
• Monk seal, Hawai1i * ..............................................................................
• Killer whale, Eastern North Pacific Southern Resident * ......................
• Guadalupe fur seal * .............................................................................
• Northern elephant seal, California breeding stock.*
• Northern fur seal, California stock.*
* Includes updated abundance estimates.
References
Carretta et al. 2024. U.S. Pacific marine
mammal stock assessments: 2023. U.S.
Department of Commerce, NOAA
Technical Memorandum NMFS–
SWFSC–704.2024
Hayes, S.A., E. Josephson, K. Maze-Foley,
P.E. Rosel, and J. McCordic, eds. 2024.
U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico marine
mammal stock assessments 2023. NOAA
Tech. Memo. NMFS–NE–321, 375 p.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
2023a. Guidelines for preparing stock
assessment reports pursuant to the
Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Protected Resources Policy 02–038–01.
Available online: https://www.fisheries.
noaa.gov/s3/2023-05/02-204-01-FinalGAMMS-IV-Revisions-clean-1-kdr.pdf.
Accessed September 2024.
Young, N.C., Brower, A.A., Muto, M.M.,
Freed, J.C., Angliss, R.P., Friday, N.A.,
Birkemeier, B.D., Boveng, P.L., Brost,
B.M., Cameron, M.F., Crance, J.L., Dahle,
S.P., Fadely, B.S., Ferguson, M.C., Goetz,
K.T., London, J.M., Oleson, E.M., Ream,
R.R., Richmond, E.L., Shelden, K.E. W.,
Sweeney, K.L., Towell, R.G., Wade, P.R.,
Waite, J.M., and Zerbini, A.N. 2024.
Alaska marine mammal stock
assessments, 2023. U.S. Dep. Commer.,
NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS–AFSC–XXX,
327 p.
Dated: March 17, 2025.
Evan Howell,
Director, Office of Science and Technology,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025–04861 Filed 3–20–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES
[RTID 0648–XE767]
Taking and Importing Marine
Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to Geophysical Surveys
Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the
Gulf of America (Formerly Gulf of
Mexico)
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
AGENCY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Notice; issuance of letter of
authorization.
ACTION:
16:34 Mar 20, 2025
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In accordance with the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA), as amended, its implementing
regulations, and NMFS’ MMPA
regulations for taking marine mammals
incidental to geophysical surveys
related to oil and gas activities in the
Gulf of America, originally published as
‘‘Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to
Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and
Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico,’’
notification is hereby given that a Letter
of Authorization (LOA) has been issued
to TGS for the take of marine mammals
incidental to geophysical survey activity
in the Gulf of America (GOA).
DATES: The LOA is effective from March
17, 2025, through December 31, 2025.
ADDRESSES: The LOA, LOA request, and
supporting documentation are available
online at: https://www.fisheries.
noaa.gov/action/incidental-takeauthorization-oil-and-gas-industrygeophysical-survey-activity-gulf-mexico.
In case of problems accessing these
documents, please call the contact listed
below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel Wachtendonk, Office of
Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–
8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Background
Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the
MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct
the Secretary of Commerce to allow,
upon request, the incidental, but not
intentional, taking of small numbers of
marine mammals by U.S. citizens who
engage in a specified activity (other than
commercial fishing) within a specified
geographical region if certain findings
are made and either regulations are
issued or, if the taking is limited to
harassment, a notice of a proposed
authorization is provided to the public
for review.
An authorization for incidental
takings shall be granted if NMFS finds
that the taking will have a negligible
impact on the species or stock(s), will
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not have an unmitigable adverse impact
on the availability of the species or
stock(s) for subsistence uses (where
relevant), and if the permissible
methods of taking and requirements
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring
and reporting of such takings are set
forth. NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible
impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact
resulting from the specified activity that
cannot be reasonably expected to, and is
not reasonably likely to, adversely affect
the species or stock through effects on
annual rates of recruitment or survival.
Except with respect to certain
activities not pertinent here, the MMPA
defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: any act of
pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (i)
has the potential to injure a marine
mammal or marine mammal stock in the
wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has
the potential to disturb a marine
mammal or marine mammal stock in the
wild by causing disruption of behavioral
patterns, including, but not limited to,
migration, breathing, nursing, breeding,
feeding, or sheltering (Level B
harassment).
On January 19, 2021, we issued a final
rule with regulations to govern the
unintentional taking of marine
mammals incidental to geophysical
survey activities conducted by oil and
gas industry operators, and those
persons authorized to conduct activities
on their behalf (collectively ‘‘industry
operators’’), in U.S. waters of the GOA 1
over the course of 5 years (86 FR 5322,
January 19, 2021). The rule was based
on our findings that the total taking
from the specified activities over the 5year period will have a negligible
impact on the affected species or
stock(s) of marine mammals and will
not have an unmitigable adverse impact
on the availability of those species or
stocks for subsistence uses, and became
effective on April 19, 2021.
1 Pursuant to Executive Order 14172, ‘‘Restoring
Names That Honor American Greatness,’’ and
Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3423,
‘‘The Gulf of America,’’ the body of water formerly
known as the Gulf of Mexico is now called the Gulf
of America. Accordingly, this Federal Register
notice hereafter refers to the Gulf of America.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 54 (Friday, March 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13344-13346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04861]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE739]
Draft 2024 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments and new information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional
marine mammal stock assessment reports (SAR) in accordance with the
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). SARs for marine mammals in the
Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regions were revised to include new
information. NMFS is soliciting public comments on the draft 2024 SARs
and requesting new information for strategic stocks that were not
updated in 2024.
DATES: Comments must be received by June 20, 2025.
ADDRESSES: The 2024 draft SARs are available in electronic form via the
internet at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/draft-marine-mammal-stock-assessment-reports.
You may submit comments or new information, identified by NOAA-
NMFS-2025-0019, via electronic submission through the Federal e-
Rulemaking Portal:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via
the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and
type NOAA-NMFS-2025-0019 in the Search box (note: copying and pasting
the FDMS Docket Number directly from this document may not yield search
results). Click on the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields,
and enter or attach your comments.
Instructions: NMFS may not consider comments if they are sent by
any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after
the end of the comment period. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Zachary Schakner, Office of Science
and Technology, 301-427-8106, [email protected]; Nancy Young,
206-526-4297, [email protected], regarding Alaska regional stock
assessments; Jessica McCordic, 508-495-2396, [email protected],
regarding Atlantic regional stock assessments; or Jim Carretta, 858-
546-7171, [email protected], regarding Pacific regional stock
assessments.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 117 of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) requires NMFS and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to prepare stock assessments
for each stock of marine mammals occurring in waters under the
jurisdiction of the United States. These SARs must contain information
regarding the distribution and abundance of the stock, population
growth rates and trends, estimates of annual human-caused mortality and
serious injury (M/SI) from all sources, descriptions of the fisheries
with which the stock interacts, and the status of the stock. Initial
SARs were completed in 1995.
The MMPA requires NMFS and USFWS to review the SARs at least
annually for strategic stocks and stocks for which significant new
information is available and at least once every three years for non-
strategic stocks. The term ``strategic stock'' means a marine mammal
stock: (A) for which the level of direct human-caused mortality exceeds
the potential biological removal level or PBR (defined by the MMPA as
the maximum number of animals, not including natural mortalities, that
may be removed from a marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to
reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population); (B) which, based
on the best available scientific information, is declining and is
likely to be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) within the foreseeable future; or (C) which is listed
as a threatened species or endangered species under the ESA or is
designated as depleted under the
[[Page 13345]]
MMPA. NMFS and USFWS are required to revise a SAR if the review
indicates that the status of the stock has changed or can be more
accurately determined.
In order to ensure that marine mammal SARs include the best
scientific information available at the time of publication, the
updated SARs under NMFS' jurisdiction are peer-reviewed within NMFS'
Science Centers and by members of three regional independent scientific
review groups established under the MMPA to independently advise NMFS
and USFWS. As a result of the time involved in the assessment of new
scientific information, revision, and peer-review of the SARs, the
period covered by the 2024 draft SARs is generally 2018 through 2022.
NMFS reviewed the SARs of all strategic stocks and considered
whether significant new information was available for all other stocks
under NMFS' jurisdiction. As a result of this review, NMFS revised or
developed new reports for 21 stocks in the Alaska, Atlantic, and
Pacific regions. The 2024 revisions to the SARs consist primarily of
updated or revised human-caused M/SI estimates and updated abundance
estimates.
NMFS solicits public comments on the draft 2024 SARs. To ensure
NMFS is aware of new information relevant to all strategic stocks, NMFS
also requests new information for strategic stocks that were not
updated in 2024. Specifically, new relevant information could include
peer-reviewed information on human-caused M/SI, fishery interactions,
abundance, distribution, population structure, and other information on
emerging concerns for strategic stocks that could be incorporated into
the SARs.
Alaska Reports
NMFS reviewed new information for 35 existing stocks (including all
of the strategic stocks) in the Alaska Region for the 2024 SAR cycle
and revised information for five stocks contained in five SARs under
NMFS' jurisdiction: Three strategic stocks (Eastern Pacific stock of
northern fur seals, Cook Inlet stock of beluga whales, and Gulf of
Alaska stock of harbor porpoise) and two non-strategic stocks (Bristol
Bay stock of beluga whales and Bering Sea stock of harbor porpoise). In
the 2024 draft SAR, the Bering Sea stock of harbor porpoise is no
longer considered ``strategic,'' as a result of an analysis using new
guidance (NMFS 2023) on determining strategic status when a minimum
population abundance estimate is unavailable and information on human-
caused M/SI is incomplete. Information on the remaining Alaska region
stocks can be found in the final 2023 SARs (Young et al. 2024).
A list of the new or revised SARs in 2024 for the Alaska region is
presented in table 1.
Table 1--List of Marine Mammal SARs in the Alaska Region Revised in 2024
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic stocks Non-strategic stocks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern fur seal, Eastern Beluga whale, Bristol
Pacific *. Bay.*
Beluga whale, Cook Inlet *.... Harbor porpoise,
Harbor porpoise, Gulf of Bering Sea.
Alaska.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Includes updated abundance estimates.
Atlantic Reports
In 2024, NMFS reviewed all stocks in the Atlantic region under
NMFS' jurisdiction for new information. Eleven stocks from the Western
North Atlantic were revised (table 2), primarily with updated abundance
estimates, and some were also updated with recent bycatch estimates.
NMFS is not revising the SAR for the Gulf of Maine stock of humpback
whales. Since the last revision of this SAR in 2019, NMFS has been
reviewing and considering the implications of recent information on
stock structure of humpback whales in the North Atlantic. In addition,
NMFS is not revising the North Atlantic right whale (NARW) SAR since
the final 2023 NARW SAR (89 FR 104989, Dec. 26, 2024) incorporated best
available scientific information available to date on NARW population
abundance and human-caused mortality and serious injury of the stock.
While not yet reflected in the draft 2024 SAR revisions, pursuant to
Executive Order 14172 Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness
(January 20, 2025), NMFS will be revising relevant SARs to reflect the
renaming of the ``Gulf of Mexico'' to the ``Gulf of America'' in future
SAR revisions.
A list of the new or revised SARs in 2024 for the Atlantic region
is presented in table 2. Information on the remaining Atlantic region
stocks can be found in the final 2023 SARs (Hayes et al. 2024).
Table 2--List of Marine Mammal SARs in the Atlantic Region Revised in
2024
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic stocks Non-strategic stocks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
WNA common bottlenose Harbor porpoise, Gulf
dolphin, Biscayne Bay Stock *. of Maine/Bay of Fundy.*
WNA Tamanend's bottlenose Cuvier's beaked whale,
dolphin, South Carolina/Georgia Western North Atlantic.
Coastal Stock \2\. Blainville's beaked
WNA Tamanend's bottlenose whale, Western North Atlantic.
dolphin, Northern Florida Coastal Gervais' beaked whale,
Stock *. Western North Atlantic.
WNA Tamanend's bottlenose Sowerby's beaked
dolphin, Central Florida Coastal Stock whale, Western North Atlantic.
*. True's beaked whale,
Western North Atlantic.
Gray seal, Western
North Atlantic.*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western North Atlantic = WNA.
* Includes updated abundance estimates.
Pacific Reports
In 2024, NMFS reviewed all 85 stocks in the Pacific region (waters
along the U.S. West Coast, within waters surrounding the main and
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and within waters surrounding U.S.
territories in the Western Pacific) for new information and revised
five stocks contained in five SARs under NMFS' jurisdiction: three
strategic stocks (Monk seal, Guadalupe fur seal, and Eastern North
Pacific Southern Resident killer whale) and two non-strategic stocks
(California breeding Northern elephant seal and California
[[Page 13346]]
Northern fur seal). A list of revised SARs in 2024 for the Pacific
region is presented in table 3. Information on the remaining Pacific
region stocks can be found in the final 2023 SARs (Carretta et al.
2024).
Table 3--List of Marine Mammal SARs in the Pacific Region Revised in
2024
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic stocks Non-strategic stocks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monk seal, Hawai[revaps]i *... Northern elephant
Killer whale, Eastern North seal, California breeding
Pacific Southern Resident *. stock.*
Guadalupe fur seal *.......... Northern fur seal,
California stock.*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Includes updated abundance estimates.
References
Carretta et al. 2024. U.S. Pacific marine mammal stock assessments:
2023. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-
SWFSC-704.2024
Hayes, S.A., E. Josephson, K. Maze-Foley, P.E. Rosel, and J.
McCordic, eds. 2024. U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico marine mammal
stock assessments 2023. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE-321, 375 p.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 2023a. Guidelines for
preparing stock assessment reports pursuant to the Marine Mammal
Protection Act. Protected Resources Policy 02-038-01. Available
online: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2023-05/02-204-01-Final-GAMMS-IV-Revisions-clean-1-kdr.pdf. Accessed September 2024.
Young, N.C., Brower, A.A., Muto, M.M., Freed, J.C., Angliss, R.P.,
Friday, N.A., Birkemeier, B.D., Boveng, P.L., Brost, B.M., Cameron,
M.F., Crance, J.L., Dahle, S.P., Fadely, B.S., Ferguson, M.C.,
Goetz, K.T., London, J.M., Oleson, E.M., Ream, R.R., Richmond, E.L.,
Shelden, K.E. W., Sweeney, K.L., Towell, R.G., Wade, P.R., Waite,
J.M., and Zerbini, A.N. 2024. Alaska marine mammal stock
assessments, 2023. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-
XXX, 327 p.
Dated: March 17, 2025.
Evan Howell,
Director, Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-04861 Filed 3-20-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
