National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 29, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that we, NMFS, have issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (Authorization) to the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society (Society) to take four species of marine mammals, by Level B harassment only, incidental to conducting helicopter operations, and lighthouse renovation and light maintenance activities on the St. George Reef Light Station on Northwest Seal Rock (NWSR) offshore of Crescent City, California in the northeast Pacific Ocean, from the period of November 2013 through December 2013.

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the commercial sector for vermilion snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. Commercial landings for vermilion snapper, as estimated by the Science Research Director (SRD), are projected to reach the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for the July 1 through December 31, 2013, fishing period on December 2, 2013. Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector for vermilion snapper in the South Atlantic EEZ on December 2, 2013, and it will remain closed until the start of the January 1 through June 30, 2014, fishing period. This closure is necessary to protect the vermilion snapper resource.