In Comment #14, MLA notes there has been only one right whale entangled in Maine gear in April 2002, and the entanglement was determined to be a non-serious injury. MLA recommends NMFS reclassify the Maine state waters lobster fishery as Category III fishery since there are no documented serious injuries or mortalities with this fishery, and NMFS determined that regulating the waters exempt from the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP) would have no significant benefit to large whales. NMFS clarifies that the fishery does not target bluefin tuna, shortfin mako sharks and other shark species. The following summarizes changes to the LOF for 2021, including the classification of fisheries, fisheries listed, the estimated number of vessels/persons in a particular fishery, and the species and/or stocks that are incidentally killed or injured in a particular fishery. rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not From left: Kourtney Burger and Cory Hom-Weaver in the technology tank at Southwest Fisheries Science Center testing surface buoys for the ADRIFT project. NMFS adds the Cook Inlet stock of harbor seal to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category III AK Gulf of Alaska halibut longline fishery. Unfortunately, this also means that they may get hooked or entangled in fishing gear, especially in longline fisheries. Allen, P.L. In addition, Maine's state and Federal waters lobstermen must declare a lobster zone and are required to fish the majority of gear in their home zone, limiting the spatial footprint of where individual lobstermen can set gear. Therefore, while HSFCA permits exist for these gear types, it does not represent effort. Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP). Once finalized, the analysis of these data will be helpful in addressing management concerns related to SEAK harbor porpoise and effects from commercial fishing. Stocks driving a fishery's classification are denoted with a superscript 1 in Tables 1 and 2. and E. Lyman. The West Coast groundfish fisheries are tracked and managed using accounting of both landed catch and discarded catch. See 70 Fed. NMFS adds a superscript 1 to the CA/OR/WA stock of minke whale indicating it is driving the Category II classification of the CA thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet (14 in mesh) fishery. 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). Credit: NOAA/Liana Heberer. Prior to that she was the Division Manager and Operations & Policy Branch Chief in the California Coastal Office. Seabird interactions with the groundfish fishery occur primarily with longline vessels and to a lesser extent with trawl vessels. In accordance with the Companion Manual for NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-6A, NMFS determined that publishing this LOF qualifies to be categorically excluded from further NEPA review, consistent with categories of activities identified in Categorical Exclusion G7 (Preparation of policy directives, rules, regulations, and guidelines of an administrative, Start Printed Page 3053financial, legal, technical, or procedural nature, or for which the environmental effects are too broad, speculative or conjectural to lend themselves to meaningful analysis and will be subject later to the NEPA process, either collectively or on a case-by-case basis) of the Companion Manual and we have not identified any extraordinary circumstances listed in Chapter 4 of the Companion Manual for NAO 216-6A that would preclude application of this categorical exclusion. For West Coast groundfish, we employ catch shares and annual catch limits as a tool to rebuild fish stocks and promote healthy fishing communities. Additionally, in August 2020, NMFS reopened the Southern Exclusion Zone to Hawaii deep-set longline fishing (85 FR 50959, August 19, 2020). Over the past 5 years, there have been 4.15 M/SI entanglements documented annually where the origin of the entanglement is unknown (Hayes et al., 2020). Because HSFCA permits are valid for 5 years, permits obtained in past years exist in the HSFCA permit database for gear types that are now unauthorized. Killer whale, Eastern North Pacific GOA, BSAI transient. Limited Entry Fixed Gear (LEFG) North of 4010' N Lat. False killer whale, HI Pelagic. Vessel or gear owners who participate in fisheries in these regions and have not received authorization certificates by the beginning of the calendar year, or with renewed fishing licenses, must contact the appropriate NMFS Regional Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION). ^The list of marine mammal species and/or stocks killed or injured in this fishery is identical to the list of marine mammal species and/or stocks killed or injured in U.S. waters component of the fishery, minus species and/or stocks that have geographic ranges exclusively in coastal waters, because the marine mammal species and/or stocks are also found on the high seas and the fishery remains the same on both sides of the EEZ boundary. The Branch works with staff throughout the region to share strategic communications and knowledge, build understanding, and recognize achievements from NOAA Fisheries stewardship activities on the West Coast. Is Action We also ensure that federal ocean fisheries along the West Coast are managed to uphold Native American Tribal treaty fishing rights. Several shark species have been identified as future priority species . Bottlenose dolphin, Northern Migratory coastal. The Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program freed fishermen from having to race each other to catch the most fish. As described in the 2019 LOF (84 FR 22051, May 16, 2019), six false killer whale M/SI incidental to the deep-set longline fishery were observed inside the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Hawaii, including three that occurred close to the outer boundary of the Main Hawaiian Islands Longline Fishing Prohibited Area, in close proximity to the outer boundary of the MHI Insular false killer whale stocks' range. You can also see a list of, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal, Climate, Ecosystems & Fisheries Initiative, West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Draft National Seafood Strategy Listening Sessions, Financial Assistance Workshop for Grant Applicants and RecipientsSeattle, Research Surveys in the Pacific Northwest, About the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI), California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (CCIEA), Socio-economics of Eastern Pacific and West Coast Fisheries, California Central Valley Chinook Salmon Life Cycle Modeling, Social-economics of California Salmonid Habitat and Water Resource, Southwest Fisheries Science Center Stock Assessment, Pacific Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports, SWFSC Data on the NOAA Big Data Program (BDP), SWFSC Metadata Library on Fisheries InPort, Ecosystem-based and Dynamic Ocean Management, Dynamic West Coast Sea Surface Temperature Interactive, Puget Sound Salmon and Steelhead Fisheries, Columbia River Basin Salmon and Steelhead Fisheries, West Coast Salmon and Steelhead Fisheries Management, Management Measures/Actions under Tuna Conventions Act, Management Measures/Actions under Magnuson-Stevens Act, NEPA Documents Available for Public Review, Our Work Under the Endangered Species Act, Threatened and Endangered Species on the West Coast, Our Work Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Report Dead, Injured, Stranded, or Entangled Marine Mammals, Share the Shore: Responsible Marine Mammal Viewing, Protected Resources App: Display Spatial Data for ESA-listed Species, Salmon and Steelhead: Status of ESA Listings and Critical Habitat Designations (July 2016), National Overview: Protecting Marine Life, Mitigation Banks, Conservation Banks, and In-Lieu Fee Programs, Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion, Habitat Blueprint - Russian River Habitat Focus Area, Restoration of Salmon and Steelhead Habitat. Committed to conserving and protecting our trust resources, the West Coast Region provides science-based conservation and management for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, marine mammals, sea turtles, and endangered species, and their habitats. Category II: Annual mortality and serious injury of a stock in a given fishery is greater than 1 percent and less than 50 percent of the PBR level (i.e., occasional incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals). There is a very low amount of eulachon bycatch in West Coast groundfish fisheries. On March 18, 2022, NMFS West Coast Region received a permit renewal request (Permit 16608-3R) from Reclamation to conduct species enhancement activities for CCV steelhead and the sDPS of North American green sturgeon in the SJRRP Restoration Area. We also conduct research on the impacts of environmental variability and climate change on marine ecosystems and on fishery and conservation socio-economics. The 2021 LOF generally summarizes data from 2013-2017, and in addition to the SARs, the LOF also reviews other sources of information, including injury determination reports and observer data. 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. A fourth table, Table 4, lists all commercial fisheries managed under applicable TRPs or take reduction teams (TRT). These waters support valuable commercial, tribal, and recreational fisheries and are also home to many protected species of marine mammals, turtles, and seabirds. These are intended to either minimize the bycatch of overfished groundfish species or to protect groundfish habitat. The SRGs were established by the MMPA to review the science that informs the SARs, and to advise NMFS on marine mammal population status, trends, and stock structure, uncertainties in the science, research needs, and other issues. Since 2006, there has only been one observed leatherback sea turtle caught in groundfish fishing gear. Using dolphins to catch tuna: Assessment of associations between pantropical spotted dolphins and yellowfin tuna hook and line fisheries in Hawai`i. NMFS began posting Category III fishery fact sheets online with the LOF for 2016. on Irma Lagomarsino Senior Policy Advisor at NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region 4d Report this post Report Report. Forms may be submitted via any of the following means: (1) Online using the electronic form; (2) emailed as an attachment to nmfs.mireport@noaa.gov; (3) faxed to the NMFS Office of Protected Resources at 301-713-0376; or (4) mailed to the NMFS Office of Protected Resources (mailing address is provided on the postage-paid form that can be printed from the web address listed above). The definitions for the fishery classification criteria can be found in the implementing regulations for section 118 of the MMPA (50 CFR 229.2). This includes developing and implementing salmon, steelhead, and green sturgeon recovery plans, with a particular focus on habitat, and working with hatcheries along the coast. The state is currently pursuing a gear marking regime in these exempted waters that may provide additional data about entanglement risk in these areas in the future. Only the Southern DPS is listed under the Endangered Species Act. We help other federal agencies conserve habitat for protected species and for essential fish habitat to support commercial, tribal, and recreational fisheries. In Tables 1 and 2, NMFS has designated those species/stocks driving a fishery's classification (i.e., the fishery is classified based on mortalities and serious injuries of a marine mammal stock that are greater than or equal to 50 percent (Category I), or greater than 1 percent and less than 50 percent (Category II), of a stock's PBR) by a 1 after the stock's name. In 2020, through Amendment 28, over 10,000 square miles of sensitive ocean floor habitats where closed to bottom trawling. informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal NMFS also determined Learn more about Fisheries Management on the West Coast. Copies of the SARs are available on the NMFS Office of Protected Resources website at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-stock-assessment-reports-region. The species and/or stocks are found, and the fishery remains the same, on both sides of the EEZ boundary. 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. Our ESA program supports a national focus on species needing immediate action to prevent extinction and species with identified actions that can be immediately implemented. By list-ing subdivisions of an ESU, NMFS was able to protect declin-ing steelhead populations while acceding to FWS . Age structure of spawning salmon represents an example of portfolio effects such that the risks of experiencing unfavorable conditions are spread across time. Education and Outreach Specialist, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Herrera Environmental Consultants Sep 2007 - Oct 2015 8 years 2 months Learn more about the work of the West Coast Area Offices. "NOAA Fisheries Service" and the "National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)" are synonymous names for the same agency. For observed fisheries with evidence indicating that undocumented interactions may be occurring (e.g., fishery has evidence of fisheries interactions that cannot be attributed to a specific fishery, and stranding network data include evidence of fisheries interactions that cannot be attributed to a specific fishery), stocks may be retained on the LOF for longer than 5 years. It also oversees and coordinates several cross-division activities, such as communications, aquaculture, and National Environmental Policy Act review that requires coordination among multiple offices and locations. Recovery and conservation of ESA-listed fish species, like salmon, also support our sustainable fisheries goal by providing the long-term foundation for commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries. Bottlenose dolphin, Biscayne Bay estuarine. Vessel or gear owners participating in previous Category III fisheries reclassified as a Category II fishery in this final 2021 LOF can obtain their MMAP certificate on our website https://go.usa.gov/xArUW. documents in the last year, 663 NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Eulachon Listing and Resources AboutEulachon Eulachon (pronouncedyoula . These estimates include the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the COI. NMFS adds to the Western North Pacific stock of humpback whale to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category III AK/WA/OR/CA commercial passenger fishing vessel fishery. 02-204-01. to the courts under 44 U.S.C. edition of the Federal Register. Accordingly, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required, and none has been prepared. 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). The catch locations help understand the distribution of salmon in the ocean in winter. 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). For additional information on fishing effort in fisheries found on Table 1 or 2, contact the relevant regional office (contact information included above in Where can I find more information about the LOF and the MMAP? NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C. Additionally, unless a rope diameter is explicitly prohibited in an area, rope diameter does not rule out the potential for an entanglement to have occurred in Maine waters, even if it does not represent the majority's normal fishing practices. to provide more detail on composition of effort within these fisheries.
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