Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This law pertains to the incidental taking of marine mammals during a marine geophysical survey proposed by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. It allows the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to consider public comments regarding the proposed incidental harassment authorization, which is required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The survey aims to collect seismic data in the Western Central Atlantic Ocean and is expected to have negligible impact on marine mammal species.
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Key Changes
- Introduction of a proposed incidental harassment authorization (IHA)
- Request for public comments on the IHA and potential one-time, 1-year renewal
- Detailed description of the marine mammal species potentially affected by the survey
Obligations
What this law requires
Submit incidental harassment authorization (IHA) request to NMFS with complete application including details of marine mammal take, survey specifications, and mitigation measures
NMFS must make a finding that the taking will have negligible impact on marine mammal species or stocks and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on availability for subsistence uses before issuing IHA
Prescribe permissible methods of taking and means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on affected marine mammal species, stocks, and their habitat, including rookeries and mating grounds
Establish and require monitoring and reporting of marine mammal takings as terms of the IHA
Submit public comments on the proposed IHA no later than May 11, 2026, via email to ITP.harlacher@noaa.gov with file size not exceeding 25 megabytes