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

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel will hold a public webinar meeting. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for agenda details.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow a federally permitted fishing vessel to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.

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 NMFS has modified the Letter of Authorization (LOA) issued to TGS for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of America (GOA).

NMFS proposes 2025 harvest specifications for the salmon fishery of the Cook Inlet exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Area. This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for salmon during the 2025 fishing year and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska (Salmon FMP). The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the salmon resources in Cook Inlet EEZ Area in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act).

The SEDAR 94 assessment process of Florida hogfish will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS is providing notification of the Central Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Rockfish Program cooperative allocations that are based on final total allowable catch (TAC) limits in the final rule published on March 18, 2025, implementing the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications and prohibited species catch (PSC) limits for the groundfish fishery of the GOA. These allocations are necessary to provide the Rockfish Program cooperative amounts for 2025, thus allowing commercial fishermen to maximize their economic opportunities in this fishery, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the GOA (FMP).

This final rule approves changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) for the International Pacific Halibut Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. In addition, the rule implements new management measures for the 2025 recreational fisheries in Area 2A, including the recreational fishery season open dates and subarea allocations for Area 2A. This action also adds a new inseason management provision that explicitly allows for the inseason transfer of anticipated uncaught recreational fishery allocation from the Northern California subarea to the South of Point Arena subarea. These actions are intended to conserve Pacific halibut, while providing additional angler opportunity to achieve the Area 2A allocation set by the IPHC.

In this action, NMFS proposes specifications for the 2025 fishing year for the golden tilefish and blueline tilefish fisheries north of the North Carolina/Virginia border and projects specifications for the 2026 and 2027 golden tilefish fishery. The proposed action is necessary to establish allowable harvest levels and other management measures to prevent overfishing while allowing optimum yield, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

This document contains corrections to two temporary rules published in the Federal Register on March 20, 2025, with an effective date span of March 21 through December 31, 2025, and March 24, 2025, with an effective date span of June 26 through December 31, 2025. Both of these temporary rules announced the season closure dates for the recreational harvest of golden tilefish and gag, respectively, in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. This document corrects the subject headings of those temporary rules.

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 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 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 corrects the final rule that implemented management measures described in the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plans (collectively, island-based FMPs), which published in the Federal Register on September 13, 2022. Among other measures, the final rule revised species tables in Appendix A to part 622 and inadvertently removed banded rudderfish from the South Atlantic snapper-grouper species table. The purpose of this correcting amendment is to fix this inadvertent error.

Notice is hereby given that Sea Shepherd Global (Daniel Villa, Responsible Party), 1217 South 9th Street, Tacoma, WA 98405 has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial and educational photography on marine mammals.

On August 21, 2024, NMFS received an application pursuant to section 120(f) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, on behalf of their respective states; the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation; and the Willamette Committee (hereafter "eligible entities"). In their application, the eligible entities requested that NMFS renew their August 14, 2020, MMPA section 120(f) permit (which expires on August 14, 2025) for an additional five years to intentionally take, by lethal methods, individually identifiable California sea lions (CSL) (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea lions (SSL) (Eumetopias jubatus: Eastern stock) that are located in the main stem of the Columbia River between river mile 112 (I-205 bridge) and McNary Dam (river mile 292), or in any tributary to the Columbia River that includes spawning habitat of threatened or endangered salmon or steelhead (Onchorynchus spp.) (hereafter "geographic area"). The eligible entities seek no changes to the terms and conditions in the August 14, 2020, permit, other than to renew the existing permit for a five-year period that would begin on the date of issuance of the permit.

NMFS proposes revisions to regulations that implement the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This proposed action would remove the rebuilding plans for Queets River natural coho salmon (Queets coho salmon) and Strait of Juan de Fuca natural coho salmon (JDF coho salmon) from regulation, as these stocks have been rebuilt and are no longer required to be managed under a rebuilding plan.

Notice is hereby given that The University of Alaska Southeast, 1332 Seward Ave, Sitka, AK 99835 (Responsible Party: Jan Straley), has applied for an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 24378-01.

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

NMFS announces two inseason actions for the 2024 portion of the 2024-2025 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries in the area from Cape Falcon, OR, to the United States/Mexico border.

Notice is hereby given of the availability of final evaluation findings for the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve and six State and Territory coastal management programs: American Samoa, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, and Oregon, which were prepared pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act.

The SEDAR 98 assessment process for Gulf of America red snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) from vessels using jig gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area. This action is necessary to allow the A season apportionment of the 2025 total allowable catch of Pacific cod to be harvested.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the recreational harvest of gag in South Atlantic Federal waters. NMFS reduces the length of the 2025 recreational fishing season for gag to prevent landings from exceeding the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) as occurred in 2024. Accordingly, NMFS announces the adjusted closure date for the recreational harvest of gag in South Atlantic Federal waters to protect the gag resource.