National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration January 6, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee (MC) will hold a public meeting.

The NMFS Southeast Region, in collaboration with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), intends to prepare a DEIS to describe and analyze a range of alternatives for management actions to be included in Amendment 43 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 43). The purpose of Amendment 43 is to respond to the most recent stock assessment for red snapper in the South Atlantic, reduce discards of red snapper, and improve the quantity and quality of data collected from private recreational fishermen. This NOI is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS.

NMFS has received a request from the United States Air Force (USAF), 86 Fighter Weapons Squadron (86 FWS) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to conducting munitions testing for their Long Range Strike Weapons Systems Evaluation Program (LRS WSEP) over the course of five years, from September 1, 2017 through August 31, 2022. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of the 86 FWS's request for the development and implementation of regulations governing the incidental taking of marine mammals and inviting information, suggestions, and comments on the 86 FWS's application and request.