It is not an official legal edition of the Federal A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 01/14/2021. NMFS adds both the Eastern North Pacific Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, and Bering Sea Transient stock, and West Coast Transient stock, of killer whales to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category II CA Dungeness crab pot fishery. The Western North Atlantic stock of pantropical spotted dolphins' total annual estimated fishery-related M/SI is presumed to be zero, as there were no reports of mortalities or serious injuries (2019 SAR). Federal Register :: Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified The commenter notes that NMFS splits undetermined North Atlantic right whale M/SI evenly between the two countries. Clapham, S.P. "NOAA Fisheries Service" and the "National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)" are synonymous names for the same agency. In recognition of logistical challenges with certificate issuance related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the MMAP certificate issued in 2020 remains in effect, valid through December 31, 2021, for vessel or gear owners participating in all Category I and II fisheries as of the final 2021 LOF. NMFS, Pacific Islands Regional Office, Protected Resources Division, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818, Attn: Diana Kramer. Many of the closed areas are gear-specific, meaning that they are closed to some particular gear types but not others. It is the responsibility of fishery participants to comply with applicable take reduction regulations. Aquaculture also plays an important role in species recovery and conservation. Credit: NOAA Fisheries. In 2006, through Amendment 19, over 100,000 square miles of the EEZ, including approximately 14,000 square miles of some of the most sensitive ocean floor habitats off Washington, Oregon, and California, were closed to bottom trawling, or to all bottom-contacting gears. PDF Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7(a)(2) Biological and She has served as Assistant Regional Administrator for Operations, Management and Informations for the last few years. For Atlantic fisheries, this information can be found in the LOF Fishery Fact Sheets. For example, the State of Hawaii does not issue fishery-specific licenses, and the number of participants reported in the LOF represents the number of commercial marine license holders who reported using a particular fishing gear type/method at least once in a given year, without considering how many times the gear was used. and services, go to The LOF fishery fact sheet for the BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery Start Printed Page 3033has an incorrect description for the observer coverage in both the catcher processor and catcher vessel longline sectors. Sharper Picture of Salmon in the Ocean Resets Threshold for Fishing Limits, Coordinated Response Protected Southern Residents From Sunken Ship Leaking Oil, Incidental Take Authorization: NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center Fisheries and Ecosystem Research Activities in the Pacific Ocean (2023-2028), Incidental Take Authorization: San Mateo County Harbor District's Pillar Point Harbor Johnson Pier Expansion and Dock Replacement Project in Princeton, California, Incidental Take Authorization: City of Santa Cruz Murray St. Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project in Santa Cruz, California, 90-Day Finding on the Petition to List Olympic Peninsula Steelhead as a Threatened or Endangered Distinct Population Segment, Regulations to Authorize Deep-set Buoy Gear under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS FMP), Final EIS Available for Public Review: Proposed Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for West Coast Highly Migratory Species Fisheries: Authorization of Deep-set Buoy Gear, Correcting Amendment for West Coast Groundfish 2023-2024 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures, Advance Notice of Electronic Monitoring Regulatory Program, Proposed Regulations to Implement Proposed Amendment 6 to the Fishery Management Plan for West Coast Highly Migratory Species Fisheries to Authorize Deep-set Buoy Gear, Notice of Opportunities to Submit Public Comments on 2023 Ocean Salmon Fisheries, Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Funding. The commenter cites four cases of unknown entanglements they believe explicitly rule out Maine lobster fisheries from the origin of entanglement. developer tools pages. There are approximately 50 ESA-listed species, distinct population segments, and evolutionarily significant units under our jurisdiction, including species of whales, pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), sea turtles, fish, and mollusks. to provide more detail on composition of effort within these fisheries. Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service. documents in the last year, by the Coast Guard NMFS adds the Mobile Bay, Bonsecour Bay stock of bottlenose dolphin to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category II Gulf of Mexico gillnet fishery. This notice initiated a 60-day period for the public to provide comments to NMFS related to the status of the species being reviewed. 2019. Federal Register :: Fisheries Off West Coast States; Highly Migratory The sample size of recovered gear from entanglements is small and much of the retrieved gear is unmarked and cannot be attributed to a particular location. Comment 15: MA DMF recommends NMFS reclassify the Massachusetts state waters lobster trap/pot fishery as its own non-Category I fishery, separate from the Category I Northeast/mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery based on the gear restrictions and large whale conservation programs that are unique to Massachusetts. Response: NMFS thanks FLC for bringing to our attention that the observer coverage information in the AK BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery fact sheet on NMFS' website needs updating. The LOF includes a list of marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured in each commercial fishery. From left: Kourtney Burger and Cory Hom-Weaver in the technology tank at Southwest Fisheries Science Center testing surface buoys for the ADRIFT project. Bottlenose dolphin, unknown (Southern migratory coastal or Southern NC estuarine system). If NMFS takes a management action, for example, through the development of a TRP, NMFS would first prepare an Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment, as required under NEPA, specific to that action. West Coast Highly Migratory Species Fisheries and Gear Federal Register :: List of Fisheries for 2023 False Killer Whales and Fisheries Interaction in Hawaiian Waters: Evidence for Sex Bias and Variation Among Populations and Social Groups. We use science to improve peoples lives, save species, and protect ecosystems. On the West Coast and in the watersheds of Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho, we manage commercial and recreational fisheries for more than 100 species of salmon, groundfish, coastal pelagics such as anchovy and sardine, and highly migratory species such as billfish, sharks, and tunas. The species and/or stocks are found, and the fishery remains the same, on both sides of the EEZ boundary. Response: This comment has been addressed previously (see 85 FR 21079, April 16, 2020). All other documented lobster interactions were determined to result in non-serious injuries. The Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program freed fishermen from having to race each other to catch the most fish. AOLA further states that the 2014 ALWTRP regulations as well as the American lobster fishery management plan regulations, reduced vertical lines and enhanced gear marking in the fishery. Therefore, while HSFCA permits exist for these gear types, it does not represent effort. Analysis of West Coast Groundfish Fisheries for the 2017 Biological Opinion on Endangered Species Act-listed Salmon. Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico stone crab trap/pot. In February 2014, there was an observed interaction with a pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) in the Category I HI deep-set longline fishery. West Coast groundfish fisheries, and fisheries that may take groundfish incidentally, are managed with a variety of closed areas. Observers collect information on what is caught, whether it is landed or discarded at sea, to estimate bycatch. The SARs are based upon the best available scientific information and provide the most current and inclusive information on each stock's PBR level and level of interaction with commercial fishing operations. The President of the United States issues other types of documents, including but not limited to; memoranda, notices, determinations, letters, messages, and orders. In January 2019, there was an observed mortality of a false killer whale incidental to the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery that occurred within the Start Printed Page 3034range of the NWHI stock. We also note that two additional entanglements have been identified as Massachusetts lobster trap/pot entanglements (E36-16/RW 3623 and E25-09). Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River is one of several expected to be removed in 2024. Credit: Thomas Dunklin. Learn more about the work of the West Coast Area Offices. MLA alleges there are no documented M/SI in the Maine Federal lobster fishery, but the Category II classification may be warranted under an abundance of precaution that a future interaction could occur due to the offshore migration of North Atlantic right whales. A fourth table, Table 4, lists all commercial fisheries managed under applicable TRPs or take reduction teams (TRT). Should Maine fisheries make significant changes to their gear configurations that differentiate these fisheries from other state and Federal lobster trap/pot fisheries, such as eliminating vertical lines, NMFS will reconsider this decision.Start Printed Page 3037. Sign-up toreceive bulletins and notices by email. AOLA recommends NMFS take a more equitable approach when assessing entanglement risk across fisheries, countries, and non-fishery sources, and also notes this would assist in assuring fishermen are treated fairly. NMFS addressed FWS' concern by deciding that when an ESU contained both steelhead and rainbow trout, NMFS would list only the steelhead population within that ESU as threatened or endangered. PDF of the Loggerhead Turtle The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal We also manage and conserve marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and coordinate and support the marine mammal stranding networks. Status review of West Coast steelhead from Washington, Idaho, Oregon Am I required to submit reports when I kill or injure a marine mammal during the course of commercial fishing operations? For example, in case E25-10/RW 3911, the gear analysis found wire mesh is likely the remains of wire traps that parted off from themselves. . NOAA Fisheries - Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, HI, USA . In 2014, one pantropical spotted dolphin from the Hawaii Island stock was observed hooked above the jaw and trailing 8-10 feet of fishing line (Bradford and Lyman, 2018). From the Marshall Islands, silky . Portland, Oregon 97208-2946 . These fisheries, though listed separately on Table 1 or 2 and Table 3, are considered the same fisheries on either side of the EEZ boundary. Additional detail on how gear would be considered unique to differentiate it from other state lobster and trap/pot fisheries is included in response to Comment #11. These tribes, all located in Washington State, include the Quinault Indian Nation, the Hoh Tribe, the Quileute Nation, and the Makah Tribe. The Northwest Fisheries Science Center produces an annual report on salmon bycatch. Tidal wetlands in the Nisqually River Basin, where restored habitat fosters growth of juvenile salmon and steelhead on their way to the ocean. Information regarding the LOF and the MMAP, including registration procedures and forms; current and past LOFs; descriptions of each Category I and II fishery and some Category III fisheries; observer requirements; and marine mammal mortality/injury reporting forms and submittal procedures; may be obtained at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-list-fisheries,, or from any NMFS Regional Office at the addresses listed below: NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298, Attn: Allison Rosner; NMFS, Southeast Region, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, Attn: Jessica Powell; NMFS, West Coast Region, Long Beach Office, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213, Attn: Dan Lawson; NMFS, Alaska Region, Protected Resources, P.O. NMFS adds two stocks to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category III CA squid purse seine fishery: (1) CA/OR/WA stock of Risso's dolphin and (2) U.S. stock of California sea lion. NOAA Fisheries and the Council work with state and tribal governments, as well as industry, environmental organizations, and academic institutions. To determine which species or stocks are included as incidentally killed or injured in a fishery, NMFS annually reviews the information presented in the current SARs and injury determination reports. London, S.A. Mizroch, R.R. NMFS removes the Western North Atlantic offshore stock of bottlenose dolphin from the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category III Gulf of Maine, U.S. mid-Start Printed Page 3040Atlantic tuna, shark, swordfish hook-and line/harpoon fishery. NMFS has integrated the MMPA registration process, implemented through the Marine Mammal Authorization Program (MMAP), with existing state and Federal fishery license, registration, or permit systems for Category I and II fisheries on the LOF. The President of the United States communicates information on holidays, commemorations, special observances, trade, and policy through Proclamations. | Find, read and cite all the research . 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4470 Long Beach, CA 90802 Telephone: 562/980-4080 Fax: 562/980-4084 Email contact list: Kathryn Kempton, Section Chief Deanna Harwood, Deputy Section Chief Sophia Bernal, Program Specialist Julia Caracoza, Paralegal Specialist Christopher Keifer, Attorney Advisor Amy Lubrano, Attorney Advisor The West Coast is home to the following endangered or threatened seabird species: Seabirds are attracted to fishing vessels and fishing operationsoffal and bait can be tempting sources of "free food." The Commission previously noted that the 2016 SAR for the Southeast Alaska stock of harbor porpoise reported a population-size estimate of 975 and an estimated minimum population size (Nmin) of 896, which produced a PBR of 8.9 animals. How does NMFS determine in which category a fishery is placed? Individuals participating in a Category I or II fishery are required to accommodate an observer aboard their vessel(s) upon request from NMFS. We assimilated more than 4500 unique estimates of published juvenile densities (e.g., fish/m2) in estuarine and floodplain habitats. Scott most recently served as the Deputy Regional Administrator for the region since 2017. Any vessel owner or operator participating in a fishery listed on the LOF must report to NMFS all incidental mortalities and injuries of marine mammals that occur during commercial fishing operations within 48 hours of the end of the fishing trip. Other species: These include ratfish, finescale codling, and Pacific rattail grenadier. better and aid in comparing the online edition to the print edition. NMFS reviewed the marine mammal incidental mortality and serious injury information presented in the SARs for all fisheries to determine whether changes in fishery classification are warranted. This occurred in 2008 by a vessel using pot gear in the Open Access fishery. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the Affected Species and NMFS' Determinations: ESA-Listed Species Status . National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and Southwest Fisheries Science Center work together to apply the latest science to sustainably manage the rich marine resources of the region for generations to come. Credit: Mary Campbell, Feiro Marine Life Center, Volunteer Group Responds to Strandings on Washingtons Olympic Peninsula, West Coast Species on the Move as Climate Change Drives Ecological Shifts, Analysis Shows, NOAA Fisheries Releases Draft National Seafood Strategy, Requests Public Input. While every effort has been made to ensure that The groundfish fishery may also interact with other protected species including eulachon, green sturgeon, humpback whales, leatherback sea turtles. With more bad news forecast for California salmon, several fishing advocacy groups called Friday for the state to impose an immediate closure of the 2023 salmon season and seek federal assistance for a fishery disaster. Harbor porpoise, GME/BF. Comment 14: AOLA expresses concern over the perceived lack of parity when assessing the impacts of fisheries on marine mammals. That 2016 SAR also reported a total annual M/SI estimate of 34 animals for the two fisheries combined. publication in the future. there is a paucity of data on species-specific PRS rates in the WCPO region. Open Access (OA) Gears North of 4010' N Lat. (Federal Register 11 January 2023 [Proposed Rule] Pages 1548-1555) . The West Coast Groundfish Observer Program produces an annual groundfish mortality and bycatch report. FLC also states that the BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery is currently classified as a Category II based on a killer whale M/SI in 2012. A novel intrauterine satellite transmitter to identify - science.org Comment 11: MLA states that the NMFS Category I Northeast/mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery does not accurately capture marine mammal interactions and risk. Under the MMPA, we conserve and manage marine mammal populations along the West Coast. Bottlenose dolphin, Southern migratory coastal. However, the distribution of maturation ages for Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) CA anchovy, mackerel, sardine purse seine, WA/OR herring, smelt, squid purse seine or lampara, WA/OR/CA albacore surface hook and line/troll, AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands groundfish hand troll and dinglebar troll, AK Gulf of Alaska groundfish hand troll and dinglebar troll, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands tuna troll, AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Greenland turbot longline, AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod longline, AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands sablefish longline, AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands halibut longline, AK state-managed waters longline/setline (including sablefish, rockfish, lingcod, and miscellaneous finfish), WA/OR/CA groundfish, bottomfish longline/set line. Therefore, some vessels/participants may possess valid HSFCA permits without the ability to fish under the permit because it was issued for a gear type that is no longer authorized under the most current FMP. 03/03/2023, 234 Northeast mid-water trawl (including pair trawl). Bottlenose dolphin, Mobile Bay, Bonsecour Bay. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal. Authorization certificates may also be obtained by visiting the MMAP website https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-authorization-program#obtaining-a-marine-mammal-authorization-certificate. NMFS removes three stocks from the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category II AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands pollock trawl fishery: (1) Alaska stock of ringed seal, (2) Central North Pacific stock of humpback whale and (3) Western North Pacific stock of humpback whale. biennium). on NARA's archives.gov. California Trout calls for more transparency from Union Pacific on its safety practices for . Bradford, A.L., E.M. Oleson, R.W. This rule would not affect the land or water uses or natural resources of the coastal zone, as specified under section 307 of the Coastal Zone Management Act.