National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration November 8, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS requests applications for the 2025 shark research fishery from commercial shark fishermen with Atlantic shark Directed or Incidental limited access permits. The shark research fishery provides fishery-dependent and biological data collection to support stock assessments and other NMFS' research and management objectives. The only commercial vessels authorized to land sandbar sharks are those participating in the shark research fishery. Shark research fishery participants may also land other species of sharks, dependent on the terms and conditions of their permit. Commercial shark fishermen who are interested in participating in the shark research fishery must submit a completed Shark Research Fishery Permit Application to be considered.

NMFS has received a request from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the only change being effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of 11 species of marine mammals, by Level A and Level B harassment, incidental to construction associated with the Ferry Berth construction Ketchikan, Alaska. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NMFS is, therefore, issuing a second identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.