They note that the following marine mammal stocks are included on the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery: Killer whale (Eastern North Pacific AK resident); killer whale (Gulf of Alaska, BSAI transient); Northern fur seal (Eastern Pacific); spotted seal (AK) and Steller sea lion (Western U.S). Bottlenose dolphin, Charleston estuarine system. We also study the impacts of environmental variability and climate change on marine ecosystems and fishery socioeconomics. The MHI insular, Hawaii pelagic, and NWHI stocks have partially overlapping ranges. Document page views are updated periodically throughout the day and are cumulative counts for this document. and services, go to The Communications and External Affairs Branch creates stories/content, graphics, presentations, brochures, and literature that engage stakeholders, promote understanding of NOAA Fisheries trust resources, convey the science behind our decisions, and advance NOAA Fisheries mission. NMFS adds the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands stock of bottlenose dolphin to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in Category III Caribbean mixed species trap/pot fishery. Credit: NOAA. After publication of the final rule, NMFS noted the need for corrections to rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not London, S.A. Mizroch, R.R. They note that the state of Massachusetts has a number of actions currently in place, as well as a number of additional actions that will be in place for the 2021 fishing season, that distinguish the Massachusetts state lobster trap/pot fishery as unique from the rest of the Category I Northeast/mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery. on NARA's archives.gov. Additionally, no data is currently available to suggest state fisheries should be separated from the Category I Northeast sink gillnet fishery, therefore NMFS retains the Category I classification for the Northeast sink gillnet fishery. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. Is Action Likely to Adversely Affect Species? A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 01/14/2021. the timing of BAT evacuation occurred during the known window of parturition for both species in the region based on the occurrence of neonates (25; 15). Reg. Observers collect information on what is caught, whether it is landed or discarded at sea, to estimate bycatch. Aquaculture also plays an important role in species recovery and conservation. Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. List of Abbreviations and Symbols Used in Table 2: DEDelaware; FLFlorida; GAGeorgia; GME/BFGulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy; GMXGulf of Mexico; MAMassachusetts; NCNorth Carolina; NYNew York; RIRhode Island; SCSouth Carolina; VAVirginia; WNAWestern North Atlantic; *Fishery has an associated high seas component listed in Table 3. Atlantic spotted dolphin, Northern Gulf of Mexico. Using dolphins to catch tuna: Assessment of associations between pantropical spotted dolphins and yellowfin tuna hook and line fisheries in Hawai`i. Response: As noted by the Commission, there are four stocks of pantropical spotted dolphins in the Hawaii Islands region: Oahu stock, 4-Islands stock, Hawaii Island stock, and Hawaii pelagic stock. Owners of vessels or gear engaged in a Category III fishery are not required to register with NMFS or obtain a marine mammal authorization.Start Printed Page 3031. Therefore, NMFS reclassifies the AK BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery from a Category II to a Category III fishery in this final rule. They state that the M/SI should be distributed between stocks based on the relative proportion of the population of the two stocks combined. Because there were no data to indicate specific stock or reliable data that could be used to partition the 2012 killer whale M/SI, the M/SI was assigned to both stocks as prescribed by NMFS' Guidelines for Preparing Stock Assessment Reports Pursuant to the 1994 Amendments to the MMPA. Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status. Angliss, B.A. Additionally, species identified by logbook entries, stranding data, or fishermen self-reports (i.e., MMAP reports) may not be verified. Learn more here. Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The majority of the Southern DPS green sturgeon encountered are released alive and expected to survive. How does NMFS determine in which category a fishery is placed? In 2017, a spotted dolphin from the 4-Islands stock was observed with a band of debris around its rostrum preventing it from opening its mouth (Bradford and Lyman, 2019). AOLA states to that according to the 2019 North Atlantic right whale SAR the 5-year mean estimated M/SI from entanglements is 5.55. Category III: Annual mortality and serious injury of a stock in a given fishery is less than or equal to 1 percent of the PBR level (i.e., a remote likelihood of or no known incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals). Our charge is to manage fisheries sustainably for future generations. We review federal proposals for land and water development to make sure these activities do not further degrade habitat or harm protected species. Boggs, K.A. and E.G. Its expertise includes online information and design, intergovernmental relations, education, tribal relations, media relations, and social media. Fritz, R.C. 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. Information about this document as published in the Federal Register. As stated previously, should information suggest that unique gear characteristics have lowered the risk of interaction in a particular geographically unique portion of a fishery, NMFS will evaluate to determine if the risk reduction is sufficient for separating the fishery out from the broader, current, classification of the Category I Northeast/mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery. Current Maine state lobster management does not represent unique gear characteristics (e.g., the use of weak rope exclusively or exclusion of vertical lines). For more information on how NMFS classifies high seas fisheries on the LOF, see the preamble text in the final 2009 LOF (73 FR 73032; December 1, 2008). The SARs are based on the best scientific information available at the time of preparation, including the level of mortality and serious injury of marine mammals that occurs incidental to commercial fishery operations and the PBR levels of marine mammal stocks. 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. 2017. We also coordinate closely within the Region to address protected resources, habitat, and aquaculture issues related to sustainable fisheries. NMFS updates the estimated number of vessels/persons in the Pacific Ocean (Table 1) as follows: NMFS adds the Aleutian Islands stock of harbor seal to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category II AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands rockfish trawl fishery. Beginning with the 2009 LOF, NMFS includes high seas fisheries in Table 3 of the LOF, along with the number of valid High Seas Fishing Compliance Act (HSFCA) permits in each fishery. It was viewed 41 times while on Public Inspection. Dam Removal Puts California Salmon in Hot Pursuit of Cold Water. Today, most of the 90 plus stocks managed under the West Coast groundfish fisheries are not overfished and are not experiencing overfishing. Commercial and recreational fishing for groundfish contribute jobs and millions of dollars to the economy, but groundfish are in decline. NMFS West Coast Region's 2018 Guidance on Assessing the Effects of Existing Structures in ESA Section 7 Consultations In 2018, the NMFS West Coast Region (WCR) issued internal guidance (2018 Guidance) on ESA Section 7 consultations for work on existing structures. 1362 (20)) defines the PBR level as the maximum number of animals, not including natural mortalities, that may be removed from a marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population (OSP). NMFS is requesting comments on this proposed RFD schedule. These fishery fact sheets are updated after each final LOF and can be found under How Do I Find Out if a Specific Fishery is in Category I, II, or III? on the NMFS Office of Protected Resources' website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-list-fisheries,, linked to the List of Fisheries Summary table. Extending along the U.S. Coast from Canada to Mexico, the California Current is characterized by some of the most dramatic annual, interannual, and decadal environmental variability in the world. That final rule was effective January 1, 2023. PORTLAND, OR 97232-1274. Stocks driving a fishery's classification are denoted with a superscript 1 in Tables 1 and 2. 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. Comment 7: HLA restates a previous comment opposing the inclusion of the Hawaii stocks of Kogia species (pygmy or dwarf sperm whales) on the list of species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category I HI deep-set longline fishery. Currently, the state of Maine does not require gear marking in ALWTRP exempted areas. This approach is based on consideration of the rate, in numbers of animals per year, of incidental mortalities and serious injuries of marine mammals due to commercial fishing operations relative to the potential biological removal (PBR) level for each marine mammal stock. Video and sensor data is reviewed after the trip to determine fishing locations and quantify discards. The best available information on the level of observer coverage and the spatial and temporal distribution of observed marine mammal interactions is presented in the SARs. In accordance with the MMPA (16 U.S.C. The list of species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured includes serious and non-serious documented injuries as described later in the List of Species and/or Stocks Incidentally Killed or Injured in the Pacific Ocean and List of Species and/or Stocks Incidentally Killed or Injured in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean sections. This is the approach NMFS took this approach in 2012 proposed LOF. Allocations, Specifications of OFL, ABC, ACL, ACT and Fishery Harvest Guidelines, Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN), Subscribe to the West Coast groundfish email list, Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, Letter of concurrence on reinitiated consultation on continued operation of the groundfish fishery under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan and the effects of the fishery on Southern Resident killer whales (December 7, 2022), Biological Opinion on the Effects of the Continuing Operation of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery on Humpback Whales (Reinitiation 2020), Adoption of Conference Opinion on Humpback Whale Critical Habitat for the Continued Operation of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery (2021), Biological Opinion on the Effects of the Continuing Operation of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery on Eulachon (Reinitiation 2018), Biological Opinion on the Effects the Groundfish Fishery Management Plan on Listed Salmon (2017), Biological Opinion on the Effects of the Ongoing Operation of the Groundfish Fisheries on California Least Tern, Southern Sea Otter, Bull trout, Marbled Murrelet, and Short-tailed Albatross (2017), Biological Opinion on the Effects of the Continuing Operation of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery on Green Sturgeon, Leatherback Sea Turtles, and Other Listed Species (2012), Groundfish Endangered Species Act Workgroup Report (2021), Fishing Effort in the 2002-2019U.S. Pacific Coast Groundfish Fisheries, Observed and Estimated Bycatch of Eulachon in 2002-2019 US West Coast Groundfish Fisheries, Observed and Estimated Bycatch of Green Sturgeon in 2002-2019 US West Coast Groundfish Fisheries, Estimated Humpback Whale Bycatch in the U.S. West Coast Groundfish Fisheries, 2002-2019, Leatherback Sea Turtle Bycatch in U.S. West Coast Groundfish Fisheries 2002-2019, Estimated Short-tailed Albatross Bycatch in U.S. West Coast Groundfish Fisheries 2002-2019, Webinar: Salmon Impacts in the Pacific Groundfish Fishery (2015), West Coast Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat, Fisheries Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division, Habitat and Groundfish Ecology Research in the California Current, Pacific Coast Fisheries Information Network, Recreational Fisheries Information Network. edition of the Federal Register. Education and Outreach Specialist, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Herrera Environmental Consultants Sep 2007 - Oct 2015 8 years 2 months The SARs do not provide detailed information on observer coverage in Category III fisheries because, under the MMPA, Category III fisheries are not required to accommodate observers aboard vessels due to the remote likelihood of mortality and serious injury of marine mammals. Atlantic highly migratory species longline fishery from 53 to 45 HSFCA permits; Western Pacific pelagic longline (HI deep-set component) fishery from 145 to 143 HSFCA permits; South Pacific tuna purse seine fishery from 33 to 26 HSFCA permits; South Pacific tuna longline fishery from 2 to 3 HSFCA permits; Western Pacific pelagic longline (HI shallow-set component) fishery from 18 to 11 HSFCA permits; Atlantic highly migratory species handline/pole and line fishery from 2 to 1 HSFCA permits; Pacific highly migratory species handline/pole and line fishery from 41 to 43 HSFCA permits; South Pacific albacore troll handline/pole and line fishery from 11 to 10 HSFCA permits; South Pacific albacore troll fishery from 17 to 18 HSFCA permits; Western Pacific pelagic troll fishery from 5 to 4 HSFCA permits; Northwest Atlantic bottom longline fishery from 3 to 2 HSFCA permits; Pacific highly migratory species longline fishery from 108 to 105 HSFCA permits; and. 2016. Humpback whale, Central North Pacific (Southeast AK). Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system. Thus, M/SI of false killer whales of unknown stock within the stock overlap zones must be prorated to MHI insular, pelagic, or NWHI stocks. The Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) provides an inseason salmon bycatch report to monitor bycatch in the groundfish fishery. May 10, 2019. This notice initiated a 60-day period for the public to provide comments to NMFS related to the status of the species being reviewed. Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Amendment 30; 2023-24 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures; Correcting Amendment, 12865-12868 [2023-03889] Results of the study indicated that there is a high frequency of associations between troll and rod and reel fishing, and pantropical spotted dolphins, and in particular with the Hawaii Island stock.