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

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management will hold a virtual public meeting to solicit input on the performance evaluation of the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. NOAA also invites the public to submit written comments.

This final rule authorizes fee collection for the Recreational Quota Entity (RQE) Program. A charter halibut stamp (stamp) is required under this final rule for every charter vessel angler, 18 years of age or older, for each charter vessel fishing trip in a given calendar day, or each calendar day during a charter vessel fishing trip that spans multiple days, who intends to catch and retain halibut on a charter vessel in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) regulatory areas 2C in Southeast Alaska and 3A in South Central Alaska. Persons who hold charter halibut permits (CHPs) must purchase electronic stamps from NMFS. Charter vessel guides are required to validate a stamp for each adult charter vessel angler intending to catch and retain halibut on a charter vessel fishing trip. This final rule is necessary to promote stability and economic viability in the charter halibut fishery and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act), and other applicable laws.

NMFS announces the receipt of two applications for exempted fishing permits (EFPs) from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). If granted, the EFPs would authorize limited recreational harvest of red snapper outside of any Federal recreational season in South Atlantic Federal waters and exempt that harvest from the red snapper recreational bag and possession limits, recreational annual catch limits (ACLs), general reporting requirements for charter vessels and headboats, and accountability measures (AMs). FWC's projects are intended to test alternative recreational management strategies that could be used by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to reduce the number of discards of red snapper and other federally managed snapper-grouper species, create additional opportunities to participate in sustainable recreational harvest, and improve angler satisfaction.

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

The Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils will hold a public meeting of their joint Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel.

NMFS received a request from the Port of Grays Harbor (Port) for the renewal of a currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to construction activities associated with the Terminal 4 (T4) Expansion and Redevelopment Project (Project) at the Port of Grays Harbor in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The Port's activities will not be completed prior to the IHA's expiration. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), prior to issuing the currently active IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed renewal not previously provided during the initial 30- day comment period.

Notice is hereby given of a virtual meeting of the U. S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) Advisory Committee (Committee). The meeting is open to the public and an opportunity for oral and written comments will be provided.

Notice is hereby given that the Caribbean Oceanic Restoration and Education Foundation (Responsible Party: Rebecca Gibbel, DVM), has applied in due form for a permit to take pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) for purposes of enhancement.

This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has found that Atlantic blue marlin continues to be overfished. NMFS, on behalf of the Secretary, is required to provide this notice whenever it determines that a stock or stock complex is subject to overfishing, overfished, or approaching an overfished condition.

Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to Daniel Costa, Ph.D., University of California at Santa Cruz, 130 McAlister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 to conduct research on California sea lions (Zalophus californianus).

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (MAFMC's) Bluefish Monitoring Committee (MC) will hold a public meeting jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Bluefish Technical Committee.

The SEDAR 100 assessment process of Gulf gray triggerfish will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

This final rule announces the 2025 U.S. Total Allowable Catch of Pacific whiting and implements the domestic 2025 harvest specifications for Pacific whiting fisheries off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California (collectively, the West Coast), including the 2025 Tribal allocation for the Pacific whiting fishery, the non-Tribal fishery Harvest Guideline and sector allocations, and a set-aside for research activities and incidental mortality in non- groundfish fisheries. These 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.

NMFS announces Federal management measures are waived for the 2025 black sea bass recreational fishery. The implementing regulations for this fishery require NMFS to publish recreational measures for the fishing year and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The intent of this action is to approve conservation equivalency and set management measures that allow this recreational fishery to achieve, but not exceed, the recreational harvest target and thereby prevent overfishing.

NMFS proposes to implement annual harvest specifications and management measures for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine (hereafter, Pacific sardine), for the fishing year from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. This proposed rule would prohibit most directed commercial fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Pacific sardine harvest would be allowed only for use as live bait, in minor directed fisheries, as incidental catch in other fisheries, or as authorized under exempted fishing permits. The proposed harvest specifications for 2025-2026 include an overfishing limit of 4,645 metric tons (mt), an acceptable biological catch of 3,957 mt, an annual catch limit of 2,200 mt, and an annual catch target of 2,100 mt. This proposed rule is intended to conserve, manage, and rebuild the Pacific sardine stock off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California.

Notice is hereby given that the University of North Carolina Wilmington (Responsible Party: Frederick Scharf, Ph.D.) has been issued a permit to take Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and shortnose sturgeon (A. brevirostrum) for purposes of scientific research.

NMFS established fishery management measures for the ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California for the season beginning May 16, 2025, and anticipated to end May 15, 2026 (the 2025 ocean salmon fishing season), under the authority of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). The final rule, published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, included an error in the management measures for commercial ocean salmon fisheries in the area from Humbug Mountain, Oregon, to the U.S./Mexico border. This action edits formatting and corrects an error by adding the text that was unintentionally omitted from the May 16, 2025, rule.

NMFS proposes new 2025 harvest specifications and river herring and shad catch caps for the Atlantic herring fishery, and projects specifications and catch caps for 2026 and 2027, as recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action also proposes to update the target rebuilding date for Atlantic herring. This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information from a 2024 management track assessment and to achieve the goals and objectives of the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, including preventing overfishing, helping rebuild an overfished stock, and achieving optimum yield on a continuing basis.

NMFS announces one inseason action for the 2025 portion of the 2024-2025 ocean salmon fisheries. This inseason action modifies the commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to Cape Falcon, Oregon.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Sand Island Pile Dike Repairs Project in the Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR). 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 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 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.

This announcement provides notice that the decision record has closed for an administrative appeal filed by Robert Hagopian (Appellant) under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA). Appellant has requested that the NOAA Administrator, pursuant to authority delegated by the Secretary of Commerce to decide CZMA federal consistency appeals, override an objection by the New York State Department of State to a consistency certification for a proposed project to perform shoreline stabilization, dock installation, and dredging at a property along the Hudson River in Ulster, New York.

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 federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries. 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.

This notice invites non-Federal entities to partner with the ocean and coastal mapping programs of NOAA's National Ocean Service on jointly-funded projects of mutual interest and establishes selection criteria and submission requirements for such projects under the Brennan Ocean Mapping Fund opportunity. With this funding opportunity, NOAA will match selected non-Federal partners at a 70:30/NOAA:partner ratio for projects proposing to contract for ocean, coastal, and/or Great Lakes mapping data totaling up to $1,000,000 per project. Selected non-Federal partners further benefit from this opportunity by leveraging NOAA's contracting and data management expertise. This ocean and coastal mapping funding opportunity is subject to the availability of funds.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council, NEFMC) will hold a three-day hybrid meeting with both in-person and remote participation to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).