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

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will hold an online meeting of its Ad Hoc Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fisheries Innovation Workgroup (FIW) to discuss procedures to facilitate the development of new HMS gears and achieve the goals of the HMS Roadmap. This meeting is open to the public.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel (HMSAS) will hold a webinar, which is open to the public.

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.

NMFS announces the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch (PSC) allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the remainder of the 2025 and the start of the 2026 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI (FMP). The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene three Stock Assessment Review (STAR) Panel meetings to review 2025 stock assessments for yellowtail rockfish in the area North of 40[deg]10' N, latitude, chilipepper rockfish, quillback rockfish off California, rougheye/blackspotted rockfish, and sablefish. The meetings will be co-hosted by the NMFS Northwest and Southwest Fisheries Science Centers. STAR panel meetings are open to the public and being conducted in person with a web broadcast that provides the opportunity for remote listening and public comment.

The SEDAR 101 assessment process for HMS sandbar sharks will consist of a Data Workshop, an Assessment Workshop, and a Center for Independent Experts (CIE) desk review. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The SEDAR 90 assessment process of South Atlantic Red Snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The SEDAR 101 assessment process of HMS sandbar sharks will consist of a Data Workshop, an Assessment Workshop and a Center for Independent Experts (CIE) Desk Review. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement Framework Adjustment 39 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that establishes specifications and other management measures for fishing years 2025 and 2026, including fishing effort allocation into access areas, modifying when areas open to optimize yield and minimize bycatch, and closures to protect juvenile scallops. Vessels with a limited access general category B permit may transit outside of the Northern Gulf of Maine with scallops onboard. Research set-aside program regulations are clarified. This action is necessary to prevent overfishing and improve resource yield-per-recruit and management of the fishery.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted Amendment 55 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper- Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, Amendment 55 would remove yellowmouth grouper from the other South Atlantic shallow water grouper complex (other SASWG) and establish a new scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex. Amendment 55 would also establish status determination criteria (SDC), a rebuilding plan, catch levels, sector allocations, sector management measures, and accountability measures (AMs) for the new complex; and establish catch levels for the revised other SASWG complex. The purpose of Amendment 55 is to rebuild the scamp and yellowmouth grouper stock, and achieve optimum yield (OY) while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse social and economic effects.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Bering Sea Aleutian Islands Crab Plan Team (BSAI CPT) will meet from May 12, 2025 to May 15, 2025.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is holding a public meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Subpanel 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 Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad- hoc Sacramento River Fall Chinook (SRFC) Workgroup (SRWG) will hold a two-day online meeting.

The MAFMC will hold a public webinar meeting of its Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for agenda details.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Executive Committee (partially closed session) via webinar to discuss the Council budget and workplan.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public meetings of the Council including a joint session with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Policy Board.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Office for Coastal Management will hold an in-person public meeting to solicit input on the performance evaluation of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. NOAA also invites the public to submit written comments.

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 City of Hoonah (Hoonah) to incidentally harass marine mammals during pile driving and removal activities associated with the Hoonah Cargo Dock project in Hoonah, Alaska. There are no changes from the proposed authorization in this final authorization.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a hybrid meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel 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 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will host a meeting of the Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel on March 31 and April 1, 2025.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a hybrid meeting of its Scallop Committee 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 Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA regulations for taking marine mammals incidental to geophysical surveys related to oil and gas activities in the Gulf of America, originally published as "Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico," notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to WesternGeco for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of America (GOA).

NMFS has received a request from the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) for authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project (IBR) on Interstate 5 (I-5) between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington over the course of five years from the date of issuance. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of the IBRP'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 the IBRP's application and request.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.