National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration March 7, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in April, May, and June of 2022. Certain fishermen and shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory requirements and to maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted Atlantic shark dealers. The Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free workshops will be conducted later in 2022 and will be announced in a future notice. In addition, NMFS has implemented online recertification workshops for persons who have already taken an in-person training. Information about the online workshops can be found on the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division's website (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).

NMFS is proposing to set Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) General category restricted-fishing days (RFDs) for the 2022 fishing year. This proposed rule would set RFDs for specific days during the months of July through November 2022. On an RFD, Atlantic Tunas General category permitted vessels may not fish for (including catch-and-release or tag- and-release fishing), possess, retain, land, or sell BFT. On an RFD, Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement also are subject to these restrictions to preclude fishing commercially for BFT under the General category restrictions and retention limits, but such vessels may still fish for, possess, retain, or land BFT when fishing recreationally under applicable HMS Angling category rules.

NMFS has received a request from Ocean Wind, LLC (Ocean Wind), a subsidiary of Orsted Wind Power North America, LLC's (Orsted), for authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to construction activities associated with the Ocean Wind 1 wind energy facility in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) Lease Area Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)-A-0498 Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf off of New Jersey over the course of 5 years beginning in 2023. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of Ocean Wind's request for the development and implementation of regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals. NMFS invites the public to provide information, suggestions, and comments on Ocean Wind's application and request.