National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 24, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery; Extend an Emergency Action To Extend Portions of the Fishing Year 2019 Scallop Carryover Provisions
Document Number: 2020-25995
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-11-24
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This temporary rule extends emergency measures that extend portions of the fishing year 2019 carryover provisions in the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan into the 2020 fishing year published on June 1, 2020 (85 FR 33027), which is scheduled to expire on November 29, 2020. This action is necessary to prevent the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishery Quota vessels from losing any carryover granted by this emergency action and to prevent the Nantucket Lightship-West Access Area from opening on November 29, 2020. This action is intended to provide additional time for Limited Access General Category Individual Fishery Quota vessels to land the 2019 carryover allocation granted by the original emergency action and to provide the New England Fishery Management Council additional time to develop a plan for the management of the Nantucket Lightship-West Access Area while it remains closed.
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Service Pier Extension Project on Naval Base Kitsap Bangor, Washington
Document Number: 2020-25953
Type: Notice
Date: 2020-11-24
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS received a request from the United States Navy (Navy) on October 14, 2020, for a modification to the incidental harassment authorization (IHA) that was issued on July 3, 2019 due to an elevated harbor seal take rate that was unanticipated. A small group of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) repeatedly entered into and remained within the Level A harassment zone, resulting in a take rate that was projected to exceed the authorized limit for this species. The Navy felt that without an increase in authorized take of harbor seal they would be forced to repeatedly shut down whenever animals entered into specified Level A harassment zones, which would impede their ability to get the work done in the time needed. Therefore, NMFS is proposing to modify the IHA to increase authorized take by Level A harassment of harbor seal. NMFS is also proposing to revise the shutdown mitigation provisions for harbor seals in the modified IHA. The monitoring and reporting measures remain the same as prescribed in the initial IHA and no additional take was requested for other species. NMFS will consider public comments on the requested modification prior to making any final decision and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Blueline Tilefish Fishery; 2020 Blueline Tilefish Commercial Quota Harvested
Document Number: 2020-25925
Type: Rule
Date: 2020-11-24
Agency: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Federal commercial tilefish permit holders are prohibited from fishing for, catching, possessing, transferring or landing tilefish in the Tilefish Management Unit for the remainder of the 2020 fishing year. This action is required when NMFS projects that 100 percent of the 2020 total allowable landings will have been caught by the effective date. This action is intended to prevent over-harvest of blueline tilefish for the fishing year.
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