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

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The SEDAR 68 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic scamp grouper will consist of a series of data and assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS announces approval of a Marine Conservation Plan (MCP) for Guam.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (L-DEO) to incidentally harass marine mammals during a marine geophysical survey in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion) to incidentally harass, by Level B harassment only, marine mammals during marine site characterization surveys in the areas of the Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Virginia (Lease No. OCS-A-0483) as well as in coastal waters where an export cable corridor will be established in support of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial (CVOW Commercial) Project.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Herring Advisory Panel via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Executive Committee will hold a public webinar meeting to develop recommendations regarding the Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Sustainable Fisheries will host a virtual meeting of the Council Coordination Committee (CCC), consisting of the Regional Fishery Management Council chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors on September 23 to September 24, 2020. The intent of this meeting is to discuss issues of relevance to the Councils and NMFS, including issues related to the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act. All sessions are open to the public and time will be set aside for public comments at the end of each session.

As required by of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Secretary of Commerce established three independent regional scientific review groups (SRGs) to provide advice on a range of marine mammal science and management issues. NMFS conducted a membership review of the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific SRGs, and is soliciting nominations for new members to fill vacancies and gaps in expertise.

NMFS implements an accountability measure for red snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. NMFS projects commercial landings of red snapper have reached the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for the 2020 fishing year. Therefore, NMFS is closing the commercial sector for red snapper in the South Atlantic EEZ on September 5, 2020. This closure is necessary to protect the red snapper resource.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

Federal Illex squid vessel permit holders are prohibited from fishing for, catching, possessing, transferring or landing more than 10,000 lb (4,535 kg) of Illex squid per trip, and from landing Illex squid more than once per calendar day. This prohibition is required when NMFS projects that 95 percent of the 2020 annual catch limit will have been caught by the effective date. This action is intended to prevent over-harvest of Illex squid for the fishing year.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Joint Monkfish Committee and Advisory Panel via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Partial Coverage Fishery Monitoring Advisory Committee (PCFMAC) will meet via webconference on September 16, 2020.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Monitoring Committee will hold a public webinar meeting.

This announcement provides notice that the decision record has closed for an administrative appeal filed with the Department of Commerce by Electric Boat Corporation requesting that the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) override an objection by the New York State Department of State to a consistency certification for a proposed project to dispose of dredged material in the Eastern Long Island Sound Dredged Material Disposal Site.

Notice is hereby given that Lars Bejder, Ph.D., University of Hawaii at Manoa, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 21476.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) allows for specified persons to employ measures to deter marine mammals from damaging fishing gear and catch, damaging personal or public property, or endangering personal safety, as long as these measures do not result in death or serious injury of marine mammals. The MMPA directs the Secretary of Commerce, through NOAA's NMFS, to publish a list of ``guidelines'' for use in safely deterring marine mammals under NMFS' jurisdiction and to recommend ``specific measures,'' which may be used to nonlethally deter marine mammals listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). While the guidelines and specific measures are not mandatory, the MMPA provides protection from liability under the MMPA for take resulting from such deterrence measures by specifying that any actions taken to deter marine mammals that are consistent with the guidelines or specific measures are not a violation of the act. NMFS has not evaluated these deterrents for effectiveness. This rulemaking also includes prohibitions on certain deterrent methods that NMFS has determined, using the best available scientific information, would have a significant adverse effect on marine mammals.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued a Renewal incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) to harass marine mammals incidental to Arctic Research Activities in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Crab Plan Team will meet September 14, 2020 through September 17, 2020.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Law Enforcement Technical Committee (LETC), in conjunction with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission's (GSMFC) Law Enforcement Committee (LEC).

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of the following: Snapper Grouper Committee; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee; Dolphin Wahoo Committee; and Executive Committee (partially Closed Session). The meeting week will also include a formal public comment session and a meeting of the Full Council (with a partially Closed Session). Due to public health concerns associated with COVID-19 and current travel restrictions, the meeting originally planned for Charleston, SC will be held via webinar.

This proposed rule would revise regulations to delay implementation of the Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program. This action would delay implementation of the EM Program to January 1, 2022. NMFS is proposing this change to provide additional time for industry and prospective service providers to prepare for implementation, as it is expected to strengthen Council and industry support for the EM program and may increase participation when it is implemented in 2022.

This serves as notice of a virtual public meeting for the NOAA Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) on September 23, 2020, 1-5:30 p.m. EDT, and September 24, 2020, 1-5 p.m. EDT via webinar. The HSRP will be asked for advice and recommendations on the development of the implementation plans for the two ocean and coastal mapping strategies noted below and other HSRP meeting topics. Individuals or groups who also want to comment on these or other NOAA navigation services topics are encouraged to submit advance public comments and letters via email no later than September 15, 2020.

Notice is hereby given that Iain Kerr, Ocean Alliance, 32 Horton Street, Gloucester, MA 01930, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on 22 cetacean species including endangered or threatened blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whales (B. edeni), fin whales (B. physalus), Hawaii insular false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), sei whales (B. borealis), Southern right whales (E. australis), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), and Western North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus).