National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October 5, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is announcing that the Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF) 2023- 2024 biennial catch limit for U.S. commercial fishing vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) is 1,054 metric tons (mt).

During the June 2023 Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) meeting, the Council made several recommendations to NMFS regarding applications received in 2022 and 2023 for exempted fishing permits (EFPs). All EFP applicants request exemptions from regulatory provisions pertaining to the use of authorized gear types under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP). The applicants propose to test the effects and efficacy of using alternative fishing practices to harvest swordfish and other HMS off of the U.S. West Coast. The applications include requests to fish with a range of gear configurations including modified standard and linked daytime deep-set buoy gear (DSBG), night- set buoy gear, and extended linked buoy gear. The Council reviewed these applications and made recommendations to NMFS at their June and September meetings in 2022 and 2023. NMFS has determined that these applications warrant further consideration and is requesting public comment on them.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Committee 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.

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 Orsted Wind Power North America LLC (Orsted) for the renewal of their 2022 incidental harassment authorization (IHA) (hereinafter, the 2022 IHA is referred to as the ``initial IHA'' and the 2023 IHA is referred to as the ``Renewal IHA'') to take marine mammals incidental to marine site characterization surveys, using high-resolution geophysical (HRG) equipment, in coastal waters from New York to Massachusetts, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Areas OCS-A 0486, 0487, 0500 and along potential export cable routes (ECR).