🐬Notice on Marine Mammals Taking for Construction Activities in Ketchikan
NMFS has received a request from the City of Ketchikan (COK), Alaska, for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Berth III Mooring Dolphins Project in the Port of Ketchikan in the Tongass Narrows, Alaska. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS requests comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS also requests 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 Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments before making any final decision on issuing the requested MMPA authorization, and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.
Learn More🐟NOAA Meeting on Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management
NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting via webinar in May 2025. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.
Learn More🦪Closure of Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Area
NMFS announces the closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Scallop Management Area for the remainder of the 2025 fishing year. After reviewing final harvest information, the area may be reopened by Framework 39, if approved, for Limited Access General Category vessels. Subject to specific enumerated exceptions, possession, retention, or landing of scallops is prohibited in the NGOM Scallop Management Area once the Regional Administrator publishes a notification in the Federal Register that the NGOM Set-Aside has been reached. This action is intended to prevent the overharvest of the 2025 NGOM Set-Aside.
Learn More🎣Regulatory Changes for Pacific Coast Groundfish Fisheries Management
This final rule announces routine inseason adjustments to management measures in commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to allow commercial and recreational fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.
Learn More🎣Proposed Regulation on Pacific Whiting Tribal Allocation for 2025
NMFS issues this proposed rule to establish the 2025 Tribal allocation of Pacific whiting and set-aside of Pacific whiting for research and incidental mortality in non-groundfish fisheries. The proposed measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, achieve optimum yield, ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available, and provide for the implementation of Tribal treaty fishing rights.
Learn More🐬Incidental Harassment Authorization for Geotechnical Surveys in St. George, Alaska
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 United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to incidentally harass marine mammals during geotechnical drilling in St. George, Alaska.
Learn More🐬Permit Application for Marine Mammal Photography – NOAA Notice
Notice is hereby given that Jacob Steinberg, CosmoVision Media Group, 64 Kenilworth Drive East, Stamford, CT 06902, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial and educational photography on marine mammals.
Learn More🌊Endangered Species Permit Requirements for NC Research
Notice is hereby given that Frederick Scharf, Ph.D., University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403, has applied in due form for a permit to take Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and shortnose sturgeon (A. brevirostrum) for scientific research.
Learn More🎣NMFS Opens Fishing for Pacific Cod in Alaska's BSAI Management Area
NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific cod by American Fisheries Act (AFA) trawl catcher/processors (CPs) in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod allocated to AFA trawl CPs in the BSAI.
Learn More🎣Corrections to Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Regulations
NMFS is correcting the 2025-2026 harvest specifications and management measures for groundfish caught in the U.S. exclusive economic zone seaward of Washington, Oregon, and California published on December 16, 2024. These corrections are necessary to accurately implement the 2025-2026 specifications. This correcting amendment revises regulations to fully implement the recombination of shortspine thornyheads north and south of 34[deg]27' N lat., by clarifying the coastwide quota share (QS) and quota pound (QP) accumulation limits are the same as the area-specific limits but are now managed coastwide. This correction also revises the limited entry trip limits for shortspine thornyheads and sablefish, which were mis-specified in table 2b (South). Finally, this correction also fixes an amendatory instruction intended to correct instances of "Nontrawl" to "Non- trawl".
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