National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 16, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, and implementing regulations, NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to modify a Letter of Authorization issued to Hilcorp Alaska LLC (Hilcorp) to take marine mammals incidental to oil and gas activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will hold a week-long work session that is open to the public.

NMFS announces the receipt of an application from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to expand the scope of an exempted fishing permit (EFP) issued in November 2018. The amended EFP would increase the sampling area from specified waters of the South Atlantic to all Federal waters of the South Atlantic off Monroe County, Florida and Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) near Pulley Ridge. The amended EFP would also increase the amount of traps in the water at any one time, extend the trap soak period, would no longer require research traps to have a current stamp, endorsement, or certificate, and would no longer allow commercial fishermen to harvest and sell any species but lionfish from the research traps. The project seeks to determine the effectiveness of traps, as applicable, for attracting and collecting invasive lionfish while avoiding impacts to non-target species, protected species, and habitats.