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

Notice is hereby given that NOAA is establishing a national marine sanctuary advisory council (council) for the proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary. The council will provide advice and recommendations to ONMS regarding the sanctuary's designation. As a result, ONMS is adding the new council to the list of established national marine sanctuary advisory councils. ONMS solicits applications to fill council seats on an as needed basis and is seeking applicants for seats on the proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. This notice contains web page links and contact information for the proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary and application materials to apply for the newly established advisory council.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, will host an interim session of the Council Coordination Committee (CCC), consisting of the Regional Fishery Management Council chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors, on July 24, 2024. The intent of this virtual meeting is to discuss draft updates to NMFS Procedure 04-114-02, the Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) Road Map.

NMFS has received a request from the City and Borough of Sitka (CBS) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Gary Paxton Industrial Park Vessel Haulout Project in Sawmill Cove in Sitka, Alaska. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible one-time, 1-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in the Request for Public Comments section at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold four in-person port meetings gathering input on Atlantic king mackerel and Atlantic Spanish mackerel as managed by the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region.

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

The SEDAR 84 assessment process of U.S. Caribbean yellowtail snapper and stoplight parrotfish will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Tilefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public webinar meeting.

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting.

NMFS is seeking information from 2022, 2023, and/or 2024 regarding nations or entities that have competency to enter into international fishery management agreements (entities) that are engaging in or endorsing illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing or have vessels that engaged or are engaging in IUU fishing, fishing activities or practices that result in the bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs) on the high seas or within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of any nation or fishing activities on the high seas or within the EEZ of another nation that target or incidentally catch sharks. Such information will be reviewed and may be used for the purpose of identifying nations or entities pursuant to the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act).

The NMFS Assistant Administrator (Assistant Administrator) has issued a new 5-year affirmative finding for the Government of Colombia under the portions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) related to the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna purse seine fishery and the importation of yellowfin tuna from nations participating in this fishery. This affirmative finding will allow the importation into the United States of yellowfin tuna and yellowfin tuna products harvested in the ETP, in compliance with the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP), by purse seine vessels operating under Colombia's jurisdiction or exported from Colombia. NMFS bases the affirmative finding determination on reviews of documentary evidence submitted by the Government of Colombia and of information obtained from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Q8 Bulkhead repair and replacement project at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia over the course of 5-years (i.e., 2025-2029) (the Project). Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is proposing regulations to govern that take, and requests comments on the proposed regulations. Agency responses will be included in the notice of the final decision.

NMFS publishes notification of a 3 percent fee for cost recovery under the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program (Program). This action is intended to provide holders of crab allocations notice of the 2024/2025 crab fishing year fee percentage so they can calculate the required cost recovery fee payment, which must be submitted to NMFS by July 31, 2025.

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 Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (L-DEO) to incidentally harass marine mammals during survey activities associated with a marine geophysical survey at the Reykjanes Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the gag recreational sector in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) for the 2024 fishing year. NMFS has projected that the 2024 recreational annual catch target (ACT) for gag will be reached by September 16, 2024. Therefore, NMFS closes the recreational sector for Gulf gag on September 16, 2024, and it will remain closed through the end of the fishing year on December 31, 2024. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf gag resource.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public hybrid meeting of its On-Demand Gear Conflict Working Group 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.

This provides notice that on June 5, 2023, the NMFS Assistant Administrator (Assistant Administrator) completed an affirmative finding annual renewal for the Governments of Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Spain (referred to hereafter as "The Nations") under the portions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) related to the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna purse seine fishery and the importation of yellowfin tuna from nations participating in this fishery. These affirmative findings allowed for the importation into the United States of yellowfin tuna and yellowfin tuna products harvested in the ETP from April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, in compliance with the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP), by purse seine vessels operating under The Nations' jurisdiction or exported from The Nations. NMFS based the affirmative finding annual renewals on reviews of documentary evidence submitted by the Governments of The Nations and of information obtained from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). NMFS typically publishes notice of affirmative finding annual renewals shortly after the Assistant Administrator makes those findings; however, due to an oversight, this notice was not published in 2023, and is therefore being published now to provide the public with notice of the findings.

This provides notice that on June 5, 2023, the NMFS Assistant Administrator (Assistant Administrator) issued a new 5-year affirmative finding for the Government of El Salvador under the portions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) related to the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna purse seine fishery and the importation of yellowfin tuna from nations participating in this fishery. This affirmative finding allows for the importation into the United States of yellowfin tuna and yellowfin tuna products harvested in the ETP, in compliance with the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP), by purse seine vessels operating under El Salvador's jurisdiction or exported from El Salvador. NMFS based the affirmative finding determination on reviews of documentary evidence submitted by the Government of El Salvador and of information obtained from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). NMFS typically publishes notice of new affirmative findings shortly after the Assistant Administrator makes those findings; however, due to an oversight, this notice was not published in 2023, and is therefore being published now to provide the public with notice of the finding.

On June 14, 2024, a notice was published in the Federal Register announcing the proposed issuance of two incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) for take of marine mammals incidental to oil and gas activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska. That document inadvertently contained errors in tables 7 and 10. This document only corrects those errors; all other information is unchanged.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Sunrise Wind, LLC (Sunrise Wind), a 50/50 joint venture between [Oslash]rsted North America, Inc., ([Oslash]rsted) and Eversource Investment, LLC, for the taking of marine mammals incidental to the construction of the Sunrise Wind Offshore Wind Farm Project (hereafter known as the "Project").

NMFS announces four inseason actions for the 2024 portion of the 2023-2024 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to the United States/Mexico border.

NMFS received a request from SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC (SouthCoast) (formerly Mayflower Wind Energy LLC), for Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and an associated Letter of Authorization (LOA) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The requested regulations would govern the authorization of take, by Level A harassment and Level B harassment, of small numbers of marine mammals over the course of five years (2027-2032) incidental to construction of the SouthCoast Wind Project (SouthCoast Project) offshore of Massachusetts within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Area OCS-A 0521 (Lease Area) and associated Export Cable Corridors (ECCs). Specified activities expected to result in incidental take are pile driving (impact and vibratory), unexploded ordnance or munitions and explosives of concern (UXO/MEC) detonation, and site assessment surveys using high-resolution geophysical (HRG) equipment. NMFS requests comments on this proposed rule. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested ITR and issuance of the LOA; agency responses to public comments will be summarized in the final rule. The regulations, if promulgated, would be effective April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2032.

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.

The SEDAR 95 assessment of the Atlantic stock of cobia will consist of a series of data and assessment webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.