NOAA NEPA Document Database

This action would implement a letter of authorization program for a Jan/Feb recreational fishery for black sea bass.

this action is on hold while staff address other actions.

Action modifies current AMs to account for variability in discard estimates and status of the stocks

Implementation prior to Jan 1 2019

sets recreational management measures for 2018

Trying to implement action on or around May 15, 2018

black sea bass measures may be contentious, depending on outcome from ASMFC proceedings/measures

This action reduces latent effort in the longfin squid fishery, reduces longfin squid incidental possession limits and possession limits following a quota closure during Trimester II, and allows an entity the opportunity to swap longfin squid moratorium permits among vessels it owns.

Some are concerned that this action does not adequately protect spawning squid and egg mops, or unnecessarily reduces longfin squid permits.

The LA TIG identified 31 projects in the range of reasonable alternatives in addition to the No Action Alternative. These projects are intended to provide nutrient reduction benefits and address recreational use loss in the Louisiana Restoration Area. Nutrient reduction projects considered in this RP/EA would help restore and enhance the ecological and hydrological integrity of the state’s coastal watersheds by reducing rural nonpoint source pollution through the implementation of conservation practices (CPs) on agricultural lands. Projects restoring lost recreational use emphasize the creation and enhancement of recreational infrastructure, enhanced recreational access or opportunity, and educational and outreach components that promote use of the natural resources and encourage conservation and stewardship for them, consistent with the injuries caused by the DWH Oil Spill. The LA TIG is proposing 23 of these projects (four of eight nutrient reduction projects and 19 of 23 recreational use projects) as preferred alternatives for implementation.

There are no hard deadlines for this restoration plan. A Final RP/EA is anticipated in fall, 2018.

The Restoration Plan II evaluates 26 project alternatives, plus the no action alternative for each restoration type, and proposes 22 projects for funding. These project alternatives will: Help restore and benefit wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats; including some on federally managed lands, Improve water quality by reducing non-point source pollution to increase the overall health and productivity of these ecosystems, Help restore sea turtles, marine mammals, birds and oysters. The alternatives proposed for funding in the plan have a total estimated cost of $35million.

The proposed action would implement recent decisions of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. The rule would establish limits on fishing effort by U.S. purse seine fishing vessels, put in place restrictions regarding fish aggregating devices for U.S. purse seine fishing vessels, establish limits on catches of bigeye tuna by U.S. longline vessels, prohibit U.S. vessels used to fish for highly migratory species from transshipping catch in a particular area of high seas and remove certain reporting requirements applicable to such vessels in that area, and make administrative changes to existing regulations to correct outdated cross references. This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, to which it is a Contracting Party.

One of the elements of the proposed rule needs to go into effect by July 1, 2018.

The proposed action is NMFS’ Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 4(d) (Limit 5 or 6) determination that 15 salmon and steelhead hatchery operations on the Snake River will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of affected threatened ESUs. The action is likely to adversely affect ESA-listed salmonids in the Snake River Basin, but the effect is not likely to rise to the level of significance.

Marine Geophysical Survey (MATRIX)by the US Geological Survey in the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean, August 2018

Permit must be issued by August 20th

This action sets harvest quotas and possession limits for the commercial and recreational blueline tilefish fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic (VA-ME) for 2019-2021.

Request by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for an Incidental Harassment Authorization to Allow the Incidental Take of Marine Mammals during Marine Geophysical Surveys by the R/V Marcus G. Langseth in the North Pacific Ocean, 2018/2019. Several of these species are listed as endangered under the ESA: the North Pacific right, sei, fin, blue, and sperm whales, the Western North Pacific Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of humpback whale and gray whales, the Hawaiian Islands Insular DPS of false killer whale, the Western DPS of Steller sea lion, and the Hawaiian monk seal.

The purpose is to allow the use of three new sea turtle release gear types and establish a new length limit for a currently required gear to release incidentally hooked sea turtles and other protected species. Further, the purpose is to streamline the process for allowing federal commercial and charter vessel/headboat reef fish permit holders to use additional gear types and handling procedures for incidentally hooked sea turtles and other protected species after they are approved by the SEFSC.

The purpose of this action is to align federal regulations for spiny lobster that apply to the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Florida with Florida state regulations, re-establish the procedure for an enhanced cooperative management system, and update management measures to aid law enforcement. No potential significant impacts to protected species are expected as a result of this action.

Recreational and tribal steelhead, fall Chinook, and coho fisheries managed by the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho and the Nez Perce, Shoshne-Bannock tribes, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and a resident trout fishery managed by the state of Oregon in the Snake River Basin.

The New England Council is interested in increasing monitoring in certain fisheries to assess the amount and type of catch and reduce variability around catch estimates. This amendment would implement a process to standardize future industry-funded monitoring programs in New England Council fishery management plans and industry-funded monitoring in the Atlantic herring fishery. This action would ensure consistency in industry-funded monitoring programs across fisheries and increase monitoring in the Atlantic herring fishery.

This framework action would modify the red snapper federal for-hire component’s annual catch target based on a reduction in the buffer from the component’s annual catch limit.

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) fisheries are managed under the dual authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). This rulemaking will consider changes to the area-based and weak hook management measures for bluefin tuna in the pelagic longline fishery. NMFS implemented an individual bluefin tuna quota system for pelagic longline fishery participants in 2015. With this approach and its emphasis on individual vessel accountability, NMFS has determined some fleetwide measures may be redundant. This action would consider how to appropriately streamline regulations and increase flexibility to the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery while maintaining bycatch reduction and conservation and management obligations.

This action would reduce the Gulf red grouper commercial and recreational ACLs and associated ACTs through a temporary rule to provide increased protections to the stock.

The proposed action is to develop and approve management measures for the 2019 ocean salmon fisheries.

Amendment 109 (GOA)This document analyzes the impacts of potential modifications to the seasonal allocation of pollock and Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) in the Central and Western Gulf of Alaska. The modifications are being considered by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in order to improve management of the fisheries by reducing potential inefficiencies for fishery participants. Modifying the seasons or seasonal allocations of pollock and cod could allow the fisheries to more fully harvest the TAC, increase management flexibility and potentially decrease prohibited species catch. The modifications would not re-distribute allocations of pollock or cod between management areas or participants. There is potential for effects on prey availability for the endangered Steller sea lion western distinct population segment.