Department of Commerce June 12, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to change the effective dates of the second re- issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA), with the only change being the effective dates. The IHA authorizes take of seven species of marine mammals, by Level A and Level B harassment, incidental to construction associated with the Debris Dock Replacement Project in Sausalito, California. The ACOE has requested re-issuance with new effective dates of July 15, 2023 through July 14, 2024. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NMFS is, therefore, issuing an identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper- Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendment 53 would modify management of South Atlantic gag and black grouper. For gag, Amendment 53 would establish a rebuilding plan, revise the overfishing limits, acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual optimum yield (OY), annual catch limits (ACLs), sector allocations, commercial trip limits, recreational bag, vessel, and possession limits, and recreational accountability measures (AMs). For black grouper, Amendment 53 would modify the recreational bag, vessel, and possession limits. The purpose of Amendment 53 is to end overfishing of gag, rebuild the stock, and achieve OY while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse social and economic effects.