Response: As stated above in response to Comments #11 and 15, NMFS retains the Category I classification of the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot fishery. Injury is defined in 50 CFR 229.2 as a wound or other physical harm. 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. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX continental shelf. documents in the last year, 663 NOAA Technical Memorandum . West Coast groundfish fisheries, and fisheries that may take groundfish incidentally, are managed with a variety of closed areas. Mahaffy, A.M. Gorgone, T. Cullins, D.J. Collaboration Offers the Best Hope for Lasting Puget Sound Salmon Solution, International Collaboration To Monitor And Respond To Tagged Gray Whale, Blob Research Reveals Environmental Effects That Shut Down Fishing and Hiked Whale Entanglements, California Ecosystem Surveys Give Insight on Ocean Changes to Come, "There is No Typical": Life as a West Coast Groundfish Observer, Woody Venard holds a skilfish on the deck of a fishing vessel. 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. of the issuing agency. With this request, the commenter is also not taking into consideration the high percentage of unidentified entanglements that are both first sighted in the U.S. and in Canada. 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. the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for Estimating juvenile salmon habitat carrying capacities is a critical need for restoration planning. Four Massachusetts lobstermen have filed a class action suit against the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Marine Stewardship Council, groups that urged distributors and grocery stores to avoid purchasing lobster because of the fishery's impact on North Atlantic right whales. Category I: Annual mortality and serious injury of a stock in a given fishery is greater than or equal to 50 percent of the PBR level (i.e., frequent incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals). Bottlenose dolphin, Indian River Lagoon estuarine system. All other documented lobster interactions were determined to result in non-serious injuries. Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 12/13/2022. Literature citations should read as . 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. NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) oversee the management of West Coast groundfish in U.S. federal waters. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C. Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, estuarine. Additional details regarding categorization of fisheries is provided in the preamble to the final rule implementing section 118 of the MMPA (60 FR 45086; August 30, 1995).Start Printed Page 3036. 19-13; 54 p. Muto, M.M, V.T. The impacts of numerous fisheries have been analyzed in various biological opinions, and this rule will not affect the conclusions of those opinions. NMFS uses the best available scientific information to prepare the annual LOF. 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 following is a collection of organizations and programs involved in various aspects of West Coast groundfish science. Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal. However, in reviewing available data, there are no documented mortalities or injuries of pantropical spotted dolphins in similar fisheries. Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus m. irideus) or Columbia River redband trout (O. m. gairdneri, also called redband steelhead). 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. Bottlenose dolphin, Southern migratory coastal. We also conduct research throughout the Pacific Ocean and in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. While every effort has been made to ensure that Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 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. The West Coast groundfish fisheries are tracked and managed using accounting of both landed catch and discarded catch. The Commission notes that is more difficult to address the harbor porpoise M/SI in Category II Yakutat salmon set gillnet because there is a geographical disconnect between where observer data was collected and the population surveys were conducted. West Coast Region 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100 PORTLAND, OREGON 97232-1274 . on documents in the last year, by the Energy Department Comment 13: AOLA expresses concern with how NMFS assigns M/SI when the origin of entanglement is unknown. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GA/Southern SC estuarine. MLA further states that there are several factors with disparity among the Northeast and mid-Atlantic lobster fisheries, as well as significant differences in potential overlap with North Atlantic right whales. If the total annual mortality and serious injury of a marine mammal stock, across all fisheries, is less than or equal to 10 percent of the PBR level of the stock, all fisheries interacting with the stock will be placed in Category III (unless those fisheries interact with other stock(s) for which total annual mortality and serious injury is greater than 10 percent of PBR). West Coast Region Species in the Spotlight: Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook 5:00 The Sacramento River system is home to the only winter-run Chinook salmon in the world. Bradford, J. Barlow, D.L. The Northwest Fisheries Science Center produces an annual report on salmon bycatch. 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. 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. The Commission states that the clearer case can be made for reclassifying the Category II SE Alaska salmon drift gillnet fishery as a Category I fishery. They note that this M/SI is assigned to both the resident and transient stocks of killer whales and is outside the 5 year timeframe (2013-2017) of the 2021 LOF. Mortality/injury reporting forms and instructions for submitting forms to NMFS can be found at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-authorization-program#reporting-a-death-or-injury-of-a-marine-mammal-during-commercial-fishing-operations or by contacting the appropriate regional office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION). Leanne Marten . Serious injury and mortality determinations for baleen whale stocks along the Gulf of Mexico, United States East Coast, and Atlantic Canadian Provinces, 2012-2016. In addition, the spotted dolphin stock considered in 2011, was later split into four stocks (three insular and one pelagic) in the 2013 SAR, and each of the insular stocks is likely to have a smaller PBR than the estimates used in 2012 proposed LOF. We initiated this review in response to a petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity, dated August 16, 2005, to list the North Pacific right whale as a separate endangered species. Response: NMFS agrees that the best available scientific information is important for assessing the risk fisheries pose to marine mammal stocks. The Protected Resources Division is responsible for the oversight, policy direction, guidance and coordination of management programs mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This includes relying on the SARs, which are peer reviewed by the U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Scientific Review Group. Stay informed of all the latest regional news around NOAA Fisheries, Staff and volunteers from Feiro Marine Life Center and SR3 release a juvenile seal back to Port Angeles Harbor. Am I required to take an observer aboard my vessel? Northeast/Mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot. 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. Back . documents in the last year, 122 Aurioles-Gamboa, D. and C. J. Hernadez-Camacho. The information contained in the SARs is reviewed by regional Scientific Review Groups (SRGs) representing Alaska, the Pacific (including Hawaii), and the U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. NMFS clarifies the fishery description of the Category I Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico large pelagics longline fishery. Only official editions of the These offices consult with Federal, Tribal, and State agencies on actions that may adversely affect protected species or EFH, as well as on projects to improve fish passage or habitat conditions for managed and protected species. Northeast/Mid-Atlantic American lobster trap/pot, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico large pelagics longline*. Species with shorter life expectancies tend to have more variable reproductive success. 367 p. National Marine Fisheries Service. Members of this partnership celebrate this approach and the results. AK Peninsula/Aleutian Islands salmon drift gillnet, AK Peninsula/Aleutian Islands salmon set gillnet, AK Prince William Sound salmon drift gillnet. 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. In addition, MLA alleges, there has been only one right whale entangled in Maine lobster gear in April 2002, and the entanglement was determined to be a non-serious injury. A full list of projects is available on RCO's Web site. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications With our partners, we are working on hundreds of projects to protect and restore vital habitat for West Coast fish and wildlife populations. Our work covers a vast geography, including the inland and coastal waters of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California. We assimilated more than 4500 unique estimates of published juvenile densities (e.g., fish/m2) in estuarine and floodplain habitats. Response: This comment has been addressed previously (see 85 FR 21079, April 16, 2020). documents in the last year, by the Coast Guard Tables 1 and 2 serve to provide a description of the fishery's potential effort (state and Federal). ^, Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (BDTRP). NMFS removes the Western U.S. stock of Steller sea lion from the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured in the Category II AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish longline fishery. How do I find out if a specific fishery is in Category I, II, or III? The main sectors of the West Coast Groundfish Fishery include: NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region's office in Seattle, Washington, manages Pacific Coast groundfish limited entry permits, quota share permits and accounts, vessel accounts, first receiver site licenses, and cooperative applications for the at-sea whiting sectors. These density data were categorized by species and life stage, habitat type, seasonal period, and geographic region to develop frequency statistics (e.g., 25th and 75th percentiles, or quartiles). They note that the estimated annual harbor porpoise M/SI in the SE Alaska salmon drift gillnet fishery included the 2019 SAR is 12 animals which equals PBR for the stock and exceeds the Category I classification threshold of 50 percent of PBR. The mentioned study, (Baird and Webster, 2020) presented findings on the magnitude and nature of associations between fishing vessels and pantropical spotted dolphin stocks. WestCoast Region, NMFS, NOAA| 7600Sand Point Way NE| Seattle | WA | 98115. . NMFS received nine comment letters on the proposed LOF for 2021 (85 FR 59258; September 21, 2020). The classification of a fishery on the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery may be required to comply with certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan requirements. NMFS acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimates may be inflations of actual effort. Learn more here. One killer whale (Gulf of Alaska, BSAI transient stock) M/SI was driving the Category II classification of the BSAI Pacific cod longline fishery. "We've always been like the punching bag for, like, the whale people. 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. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2021, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). However, large whale fishery interaction assessments are dependent on direct counts of entangled whales, not the fishery per se. NMFS continues to pursue options for additional observer coverage to collect more recent and more geographically comprehensive data on mortality in Alaska's state fisheries, and we will prioritize observation of the Southeast Alaska drift gillnet fishery. Based on the findings from the Credit: NOAA/Liana Heberer. NMFS also reviewed other sources of new information, including marine mammal stranding and entanglement data, observer program data, fishermen self-reports, reports to the SRGs, conference papers, FMPs, and ESA documents. 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. Killer whale, Eastern North Pacific GOA, BSAI transient. West Coast groundfish include more than 90 species of bottom-dwelling marine finfish, including all species of rockfishes, sole, sablefish, thornyheads, and lingcod. After entering your contact information, check the boxes for the "Groundfish, Pacific Whiting, and/or Recreational Fisheries topics under West Coast Updates". WA Puget Sound Region salmon drift gillnet (includes all inland waters south of US-Canada border and eastward of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line-Treaty Indian fishing is excluded), Dall's porpoise, CA/OR/WA. The LOF includes three tables that list all U.S. commercial fisheries by Category. 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. Most of the observed encounters have occurred in the Limited Entry groundfish bottom trawl sector. We also provide technical assistance and funding to support. Our research encompasses the waters of the California Current and adjacent inland watersheds, bays and estuaries of California. the current document as it appeared on Public Inspection on A complete explanation of the variability is available in the Environmental Impact Statement to Reduce the Incidental Bycatch and Mortality of Sea Turtles in the Southeastern U.S. Shrimp Fisheries (November 4, 2019). Bottlenose dolphin, Biscayne Bay estuarine. The West Coast groundfish recreational fisheries are managed by the coastal states with management coordinated in the Pacific Fishery Management Council process. Zerbini. We also study the impacts of environmental variability and climate change on marine ecosystems and fishery socioeconomics. For fisheries with observer coverage, species or stocks are generally removed from the list of marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured if no interactions are documented in the 5-year timeframe summarized in that year's LOF. This rule contains existing collection-of-information (COI) requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act and would not impose additional or new COI requirements. Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service. 2022. MMPA section 118 states that the Secretary is not required to place an observer on a vessel if the facilities for quartering an observer or performing observer functions are so inadequate or unsafe that the health or safety of the observer or the safe operation of the vessel would be jeopardized; thereby authorizing the exemption of vessels too small to safely accommodate an observer from this requirement. on 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. Accordingly, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required, and none has been prepared. So I'm glad we're Am I required to comply with any marine mammal TRP regulations? and E.G. Therefore, the HI troll fishery cannot be classified by analogy to other fisheries that use similar fishing techniques that are known to cause mortality or serious injury of pantropical spotted dolphins.
nmfs west coast region species list