National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 24, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and to conduct public scoping meetings to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by assessing potential impacts resulting from the proposed implementation of new sea turtle regulatory requirements in the shrimp fishery of the southeastern United States. These requirements are proposed to protect threatened and endangered sea turtles in the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from incidental capture, and would be implemented under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Notice is hereby given that the Virginia Living Museum, 524 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, Newport News, VA 23602 [Chris Crippen, Responsible Party], and the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 North Water Street, South Norwalk, CT 06854 [Ellen Riker, Responsible Party] have been issued permits to take shortnose sturgeon for purposes of enhancement.

On June 8, 2011, a notice was published in the Federal Register announcing that NMFS had received a request for authorization to unintentionally take marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical survey to be conducted in the central-western Bering Sea in August 2011. That document contained a table with incorrect information regarding the occurrence and densities of marine mammals that may occur in or near the proposed seismic survey areas. This document presents a new table with corrections. All other information is unchanged.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Ad Hoc Red Snapper Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) 5-year Review Panel.