National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration September 13, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Ecosystem Committee will hold a public meeting. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the agenda.

The New England Fishery Management Council is convening a joint ad-hoc sub-panel of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) with members of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Council's SSC to provide the Council with input on methods to designate Essential Fish Habitat and 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.

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS promulgates regulations to govern the incidental taking of marine mammals incidental to Ocean Wind, LLC (Ocean Wind), a subsidiary wholly owned by Orsted Wind Power North America, LLC (Orsted), construction of the Ocean Wind 1 Offshore Wind Energy Project (hereafter known as the ``Project'') in Federal and State waters off of New Jersey, specifically within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Area OCS-A 0498 (Lease Area) and along two export cable routes to sea-to-shore transition points (collectively referred to as the ``Project Area''), over the course of 5 years (October 13, 2023 through October 12, 2028). These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during construction-related activities within the Project Area during the effective dates of the regulations, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.