National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 19, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS received an application from Neptune LNG, L.L.C. (Neptune) for take of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to construction and operation of an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Massachusetts Bay. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to Neptune to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of several species of marine mammals for a period of 1 year. NMFS is also requesting comments on its intent to promulgate regulations in 2008, governing the take of marine mammals over a 5-year period incidental to the same activities described herein.

NMFS issues a final rule that implements Amendment 88 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area. This amendment revises the Aleutian Islands Habitat Conservation Area (AIHCA) boundary to allow nonpelagic trawling in an area historically fished and to prohibit nonpelagic trawling in an area of known coral and sponge occurrence. This action is necessary to ensure the AIHCA protects areas of coral and sponge habitat from the potential effects of nonpelagic trawling and allows nonpelagic trawling in areas historically fished and with unknown occurrence of corals and sponges.