Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS' Office of Protected Resources (OPR), upon request from NMFS' Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted in multiple specified geographical regions over the course of 5 years. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOAs) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. Upon publication of this final rule, NMFS will issue an LOA to PIFSC for the effective period of the final rule.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 219 [Docket No. 250505-0076] RIN 0648-BG31 ( printed page 21134) AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Final rule; notice of issuance of letter of authorization. SUMMARY: NMFS' Office of Protected Resources (OPR), upon request from NMFS' Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to fisheries research conducted in multiple specified geographical regions over the course of 5 years. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOAs) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. Upon publication of this final rule, NMFS will issue an LOA to PIFSC for the effective period of the final rule. DATES: Effective May 16, 2025, the sunset date of January 15, 2026, for part 219 added at 86 FR 3868 , Jan. 15, 2021, is removed. This rule is effective as of May 16, 2025, except for amendatory instruction 4, which is effective from May 16, 2025 through May 15, 2030. ADDRESSES: A copy of PIFSC's applicati…
Citation: 90 FR 21134
