National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration February 25, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces final 2015 and 2016 harvest specifications, apportionments, and Pacific halibut prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2015 and 2016 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the GOA. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the GOA in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The harvest activities of all fishing sectors must be understood to the greatest degree possible to assure that societal goals encompassed in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act are met. Thus, the need for timely, effective, and efficient means to monitor harvest from all sectors is fundamental. The goal of this Scoping Hearing is to allow the public to comment on the scoping document and to provide alternative options and ideas not yet considered by the Council and NMFS.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, we hereby give notification that the National Marine Fisheries Service has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Point Blue Conservation Science (Point Blue), to take marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to conducting seabird and pinniped research activities in central California, January 2015 through January 2016.