Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 77789 

13 293 F. Supp. 3d 1050, 1060 (N.D. Cal. 2018) 

(‘‘The clear purpose of the Act and the plain 

meaning of its core provisions was to set 

expeditious emission compliance standards (not to 

exceed 180 days past the promulgation of 

implementing regulations) and to allow the sell off 

or use of preexisting noncompliant inventory but to 

prohibit stockpiling. This clear purpose and plain 

meaning cannot be reconciled with the EPA’s 

suggestion that a year-long extension of the 

designated date of manufacture in the sell-through 

provisions permissibly leads to a commensurate 

year-long extension of the mandatory compliance 

deadlines. The EPA’s interpretation creates 

inconsistency within the full text of the Act, 

renders the 180-day compliance deadline 

superfluous, leads to the absurd result of permitting 

the perpetual delay of the effectiveness of the 

Formaldehyde Rule, and fails to satisfy the stated 

purpose of the Act.’’); cf. Pennsylvania v. DeVos, 

480 F. Supp. 3d 47, 66 (D.D.C. 2020) (‘‘And ‘when 

the statute authorizing agency action fails to specify 

a timetable for effectiveness of decisions, the agency 

normally retains considerable discretion to choose 

an effective date.’ ’’ (internal citations omitted). 

14Texas Children’s Hosp. v. Azar, 315 F. Supp. 

3d 322, 334 (D.D.C. 2018). 

15 Id. (citations omitted). 

16E.g., comments of the Shippers Coalition 

(FMC–2024–0010–0001), ContainerPort Group Inc. 

(FMC–2024–0010–0002), Agriculture 

Transportation Coalition (FMC–2024–0010–0011), 

Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference (FMC–2024– 

0010–0012). 

Commission was unable to issue the 

Demurrage and Detention Billing 

Requirements final rule until February 

26, 2024. This was in large part because 

the agency needed the time, as required 

by the Administrative Procedure Act, to 

carefully analyze and respond to the 191 

public comments submitted on the 

proposed rule. In the interest of fairness, 

based on those public comments, the 

agency granted an additional 60 days 

beyond the required 30-day period 

before the final rule became effective, 

with the final rule having an effective 

date of May 28, 2024. Granting the 

Petitioner’s request—which was not 

effectively filed with the Commission 

until the day the rule went into effect— 

would result in pushing the rule’s 

effective date even further beyond the 

explicit statutory deadline. Federal 

Register documents would need to be 

drafted, and comments analyzed and 

responded to. If, after analyzing 

comments on a notice of proposed 

rulemaking, the agency was to move 

forward with a final rule to temporarily 

delay the effective date, the final, 

permanent effective date of the rule 

would most likely be at least two years 

past the specified Congressional 

deadline. Courts have found that 

granting significant extensions to rules 

in direct contradiction to clear statutory 

deadlines is ‘‘in excess of statutory 

jurisdiction, authority, or limitations, or 

short of statutory right,’’ under 5 U.S.C. 

706(2)(C). For example, in Sierra Club v. 

Pruitt, the court found that the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

violated the Formaldehyde Act by 

extending a rule’s compliance deadline 

well beyond the deadline set out in the 

statute.13

2. Petitioner asserts that the 

Correction created confusion about what 

the rule requires of regulated parties, 

but that claim is unpersuasive. While 

the Commission acknowledged in the 

Correction that the original preamble 

language was potentially ‘‘ambiguous’’, 

the Correction was not a ‘‘reversal’’ of 

position. The Correction was for the 

preamble language only; it did not 

change any of the regulatory text. The 

regulatory text is clear and 

unambiguous: ‘‘A properly issued 

invoice is a demurrage or detention 

invoice issued by a billing party to: (1) 

The person for whose account the 

billing party provided ocean 

transportation or storage of cargo and 

who contracted with the billing party 

for the ocean transportation or storage of 

cargo; or (2) the consignee.’’ 46 CFR 

541.4(a). A rule’s preamble cannot be 

used to create ambiguity and contradict 

regulatory text.14 As summarized by the 

U.S. District Court for the District of 

Columbia in Texas Children’s Hosp. v. 

Azar: ‘‘To be clear, the preamble to a 

statute or rule may be used to help 

inform the proper interpretation of an 

ambiguous text. The preamble cannot, 

however, be used to contradict the text 

of the statute or rule at issue.’’ 15

Furthermore, the comments submitted 

in response to this petition are 

counterweights to Petitioner’s claims. 

Sixteen of the seventeen comments that 

were submitted in response to the 

Federal Register notice of the filing 

petition argued that the petition should 

be denied and that billing parties are 

largely in compliance with the rule. 

3. Granting the requested delay would 

lead to greater confusion in the 

regulated community than what the 

Petitioner claims was caused by the 

Correction. Because the rule would have 

to continue in effect until such time as 

a delay could be effectuated by 

rulemaking, the rule would be in effect 

at least six months, then be temporarily 

stayed, and then go back into effect. As 

commenters discussed in their 

submissions, this has the potential for 

massive disruption and confusion, as 

billing parties switch between systems, 

and would likely raise questions about 

what rules apply to any given 

transaction.16

4. By the time such a delay could take 

effect, after completion of the required 

administrative procedures, the 

Petitioner’s justification for delay would 

no longer be present, as the Petitioner 

would have had ample time to make any 

necessary adjustments to their practices. 

V. Conclusion 

For the reasons explained above, the 

Commission denies the petition filed by 

the Ocean Carrier Equipment 

Management Association for a delay of 

the effective date of the Demurrage and 

Detention Billing Requirements final 

rule. 

By the Commission. 

David Eng, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21586 Filed 9–23–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6730–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 229 

[Docket No. 240911–0235] 

RIN 0648–BM91 

Marine Mammal Protection Act List of 

Fisheries for 2025 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for 

comment. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is publishing its 

proposed List of Fisheries (LOF) for 

2025, as required by the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The 

proposed LOF for 2025 reflects new 

information on interactions between 

commercial fisheries and marine 

mammals. NMFS must classify each 

commercial fishery on the LOF into one 

of three categories under the MMPA 

based on the level of mortality and 

serious injury (M/SI) of marine 

mammals that occurs incidental to each 

fishery. The classification of a fishery on 

the LOF determines whether 

participants in that fishery are subject to 

certain provisions of the MMPA, such as 

those regarding registration, observer 

coverage, and take reduction plan (TRP) 

requirements. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

October 24, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: A plain language summary 

of this proposed rule is available at 

https://www.regulations.gov/docket/ 

NOAA-NMFS-2024-0037. You may 

submit comments on this document, 

identified by NOAA–NMFS–2024–0037, 

by either of the following methods: 

Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 


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Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and enter 

NOAA–NMFS–2024–0037 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

Mail: Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea 

Turtle Conservation Division, Office of 

Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period may not be 

considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on https://www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter N/ 

A in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jaclyn Taylor, Office of Protected 

Resources, 301–427–8402; Cheryl Cross, 

Greater Atlantic Region, 978–281–9100; 

Jessica Powell, Southeast Region, 727– 

824–5312; Dan Lawson, West Coast 

Region, 206–526–4740; Suzie Teerlink, 

Alaska Region, 907–586–7240; Jamie 

Marchetti 808–725–5108, Pacific Islands 

Region, 808–725–5085. Individuals who 

use a telecommunications device for the 

hearing impaired may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service at 1–800– 

877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Eastern time, Monday through Friday, 

excluding Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

What is the List of Fisheries? 

Section 118 of the MMPA requires 

NMFS to place all U.S. commercial 

fisheries into one of three categories 

based on the level of incidental M/SI of 

marine mammals occurring in each 

fishery (16 U.S.C. 1387(c)(1)). 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 

those regarding registration, observer 

coverage, and TRP requirements. NMFS 

must reexamine the LOF annually, 

considering new information in the 

Marine Mammal Stock Assessment 

Reports (SARs) and other relevant 

sources, and publish in the Federal 

Register any necessary changes to the 

LOF after notice and opportunity for 

public comment (16 U.S.C. 1387 

(c)(1)(C)). 

How does NMFS determine in which 

category a fishery is placed? 

The definitions for the fishery 

classification criteria can be found in 

the implementing regulations for section 

118 of the MMPA (50 CFR 229.2). The 

criteria are also summarized here. 

Fishery Classification Criteria 

The fishery classification criteria 

consist of a two-tiered, stock-specific 

approach that first addresses the total 

impact of all fisheries on each marine 

mammal stock and then addresses the 

impact of individual fisheries on each 

stock. 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. The 

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 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. This 

definition can also be found in the 

implementing regulations for section 

118 of the MMPA (50 CFR 229.2). 

Tier 1: Tier 1 considers the 

cumulative fishery M/SI for a particular 

stock. If the total annual M/SI 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 M/SI is greater than 

10 percent of PBR). Otherwise, these 

fisheries are subject to the next tier of 

analysis (Tier 2) to determine their 

classification. 

Tier 2: Tier 2 considers fisheryspecific M/SI for a particular stock. 

Category I: Annual M/SI of a stock in 

a given fishery is greater than or equal 

to 50 percent of the PBR level (i.e., 

frequent incidental M/SI of marine 

mammals). 

Category II: Annual M/SI 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 M/SI of 

marine mammals). 

Category III: Annual M/SI 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 M/SI of marine mammals). 

Additional details regarding how the 

categories were determined are 

provided in the preamble to the final 

rule implementing section 118 of the 

MMPA (60 FR 45086, August 30, 1995). 

Because fisheries are classified on a 

per-stock basis, a fishery may qualify as 

one category for one marine mammal 

stock and another category for a 

different marine mammal stock. A 

fishery is typically classified on the LOF 

at its highest level of classification (e.g., 

a fishery qualifying for Category III for 

one marine mammal stock and for 

Category II for another marine mammal 

stock will be listed under Category II). 

The superscript ‘‘1’’ in tables 1 and 2 

identifies stocks whose incidental M/SI 

determines a fishery’s higher 

classification. 

Other Criteria That May Be Considered 

The tier analysis requires a minimum 

amount of data, and NMFS does not 

have sufficient data to perform a tier 

analysis on certain fisheries. Therefore, 

NMFS has classified certain fisheries by 

analogy to other fisheries that use 

similar fishing techniques or gear that 

are known to cause mortality or serious 

injury of marine mammals or according 

to factors discussed in the final LOF for 

1996 (60 FR 67063, December 28, 1995) 

and listed in the regulatory definition of 

Category II and III fisheries (50 CFR 

229.2). In the absence of reliable 

information indicating the frequency of 

incidental M/SI of marine mammals by 

a commercial fishery, NMFS will 

determine the level of incidental 

mortality or serious injury by evaluating 

other factors such as fishing techniques, 

gear used, methods used to deter marine 

mammals, target species, seasons and 

areas fished, qualitative data from 

logbooks or fishermen reports, stranding 

data, and the species and distribution of 

marine mammals in the area, or at the 

discretion of the Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries. 

Further, eligible commercial fisheries 

not specifically identified on the LOF 

are deemed to be Category II fisheries 

until the next LOF is published (50 CFR 

229.2). 

How does NMFS determine which 

species or stocks are included as 

incidentally killed or injured in a 

fishery? 

The LOF includes a list of marine 

mammal species and/or stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in each 

commercial fishery. The list of species 

and/or stocks incidentally killed or 

injured includes serious and nonserious documented injuries as 

described below 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. 

To determine which species or stocks 


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are included as incidentally killed or 

injured in a fishery, NMFS annually 

reviews the information presented in 

the current SARs and injury 

determination reports. SARs are brief 

reports summarizing the status of each 

stock of marine mammals occurring in 

waters under U.S. jurisdiction. 

Information includes the identity and 

geographic range of the stock, 

population statistics related to 

abundance, trend, and annual 

productivity, notable habitat concerns, 

and estimates of human-caused M/SI by 

source. The SARs are based upon the 

best available scientific information and 

provide the most current and inclusive 

information on each stock’s PBR level 

and level of interaction with 

commercial fishing operations. The best 

available scientific information used in 

the SARs and reviewed for the 2025 

LOF generally summarizes data from 

2017–2021. NMFS also reviews other 

sources of new information, including 

injury determination reports, bycatch 

estimation reports, observer data, 

logbook data, stranding data, 

disentanglement network data, 

fishermen self-reports (i.e., MMPA 

mortality/injury reports), and anecdotal 

reports from that time period. In some 

cases, more recent information may be 

available and used in the LOF. 

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. For 

fisheries with no observer coverage and 

for observed fisheries with evidence 

indicating that undocumented 

interactions may be occurring (e.g., 

fishery has low observer coverage and 

stranding network data include 

evidence of fisheries interactions that 

cannot be attributed to a specific 

fishery), species and stocks may be 

retained for longer than 5 years. For 

these fisheries, NMFS will review the 

other sources of information listed 

above and use its discretion to decide 

when it is appropriate to remove a 

species or stock. 

Where does NMFS obtain information 

on the level of observer coverage and 

resulting data in a fishery on the LOF? 

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. Data obtained 

from the observer program and observer 

coverage levels are important tools in 

estimating the level of marine mammal 

M/SI in commercial fishing operations. 

Starting with the 2005 SARs, each 

Pacific and Alaska SAR includes an 

appendix with detailed descriptions of 

each Category I and II fishery on the 

LOF, including the observer coverage in 

those fisheries. 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 M/SI of 

marine mammals. Fishery information 

presented in the SARs’ appendices and 

other resources referenced during the 

tier analysis may include the level of 

observer coverage, target species, levels 

of fishing effort, spatial and temporal 

distribution of fishing effort, 

characteristics of fishing gear and 

operations, management and 

regulations, and interactions with 

marine mammals. The SARs are 

available on the NMFS Office of 

Protected Resources website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-stock-assessment-reportsregion. Information on observer 

coverage levels in Category I, II, and III 

fisheries and detailed descriptions of 

each Category I and II fishery on the 

LOF can be found in the fishery fact 

sheets on the NMFS Office of Protected 

Resources’ website: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/listfisheries-summary-tables. Additional 

information on observer programs in 

commercial fisheries can be found on 

the NMFS National Observer Program’s 

website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

national/fisheries-observers/nationalobserver-program. 

How do I find out if a specific fishery 

is in Category I, II, or III? 

The LOF includes three tables that list 

all U.S. commercial fisheries by 

Category. Table 1 lists all of the 

commercial fisheries in the Pacific 

Ocean (including Alaska), table 2 lists 

all of the commercial fisheries in the 

Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and 

Caribbean, and table 3 lists all U.S. 

authorized commercial fisheries on the 

high seas. A fourth table, table 4, lists 

all commercial fisheries managed under 

applicable TRPs or take reduction teams 

(TRT). 

Are high seas fisheries included on the 

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. Many fisheries operate in 

both U.S. waters and on the high seas, 

creating some overlap between the 

fisheries listed in tables 1 and 2 and 

those in table 3. In these cases, the high 

seas component of the fishery is not 

considered a separate fishery but an 

extension of a fishery operating within 

U.S. waters (listed in table 1 or 2). 

NMFS designates those fisheries in 

tables 1, 2, and 3 with an asterisk (*) 

after the fishery’s name. The number of 

HSFCA permits listed in table 3 for the 

high seas components of these fisheries 

operating in U.S. waters does not 

necessarily represent additional effort 

not accounted for in tables 1 and 2. 

Many vessels/participants holding 

HSFCA permits also fish within U.S. 

waters and are included in the number 

of vessels and participants operating 

within those fisheries in tables 1 and 2. 

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). 

Additional information about HSFCA 

permits can be found at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/highseas-fishing-permits. 

Where can I find specific information 

on fisheries listed on the LOF? 

Starting with the 2010 LOF, NMFS 

developed summary documents or 

fishery fact sheets for each Category I 

and II fishery on the LOF. These fishery 

fact sheets provide the full history of 

each Category I and II fishery, including: 

(1) when the fishery was added to the 

LOF; (2) the basis for the fishery’s initial 

classification; (3) classification changes 

to the fishery; (4) changes to the list of 

species and/or stocks incidentally killed 

or injured in the fishery; (5) fishery gear 

and methods used; (6) observer coverage 

levels; (7) fishery management and 

regulation; and (8) applicable TRPs or 

TRTs, if any. 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/marinemammal-protection-act-list-fisheries, 

linked to the ‘‘List of Fisheries 

Summary’’ table. NMFS is developing 

similar fishery fact sheets for each 

Category III fishery on the LOF. 

However, due to the large number of 

Category III fisheries on the LOF and the 

lack of accessible and detailed 

information on many of these fisheries, 

the development of these fishery fact 

sheets is taking significant time to 

complete. NMFS began posting Category 

III fishery fact sheets online with the 

LOF for 2016. 


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Am I required to register under the 

MMPA? 

Owners of vessels or gear engaging in 

a Category I or II fishery are required 

under the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1387(c)(2)), 

as described in 50 CFR 229.4, to register 

with NMFS and obtain a marine 

mammal authorization to lawfully take 

marine mammals incidental to 

commercial fishing operations. The take 

of threatened or endangered marine 

mammals requires additional 

authorization. Owners of vessels or gear 

engaged in a Category III fishery are not 

required to register with NMFS or 

obtain a marine mammal authorization. 

How do I register, renew, and receive 

my Marine Mammal Authorization 

Program (MMAP) authorization 

certificate? 

NMFS has integrated the MMPA 

registration process, implemented 

through the MMAP, with existing State 

and Federal fishery license, registration, 

or permit systems for Category I and II 

fisheries on the LOF. Participants in 

these fisheries are automatically 

registered under the MMAP and are not 

required to submit registration or 

renewal materials. 

In the Pacific Islands, West Coast, and 

Alaska regions, NMFS will issue vessel 

or gear owners an authorization 

certificate via U.S. mail or with their 

State or Federal license or permit at the 

time of issuance or renewal. In the 

Greater Atlantic and Southeast Regions, 

NMFS will issue vessel or gear owners 

an authorization certificate 

electronically. The certificate can be 

downloaded and/or printed at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-authorizationprogram#obtaining-a-marine-mammalauthorization-certificate. Printed copies 

can be mailed upon request by 

contacting nmfs.gar.mmapcert@

noaa.gov or 978–281–9120 in the 

Greater Atlantic Region or the MMAP 

Hotline at 727–209–5952 in the 

Southeast Region. 

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

CONTACT). Authorization certificates 

may also be obtained by visiting the 

MMAP website: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-authorizationprogram#obtaining-a-marine-mammalauthorization-certificate. 

The authorization certificate or a copy 

(physical or electronic) must be on 

board the vessel while it is operating in 

a Category I or II fishery or for nonvessel fisheries, in the possession of the 

person in charge of the fishing operation 

(50 CFR 229.4(e)). Although efforts are 

made to limit the issuance of 

authorization certificates to only those 

vessel or gear owners that participate in 

Category I or II fisheries, not all State 

and Federal license or permit systems 

distinguish between fisheries as 

classified by the LOF. Therefore, some 

vessel or gear owners in Category III 

fisheries may receive authorization 

certificates even though they are not 

required for Category III fisheries. 

Individuals fishing in Category I and 

II fisheries for which no State or Federal 

license or permit is required must 

register with NMFS by contacting their 

appropriate Regional Office (see 

ADDRESSES). 

Am I required to submit reports when 

I kill or injure a marine mammal 

during the course of commercial fishing 

operations? 

In accordance with the MMPA (16 

U.S.C. 1387(e)) and 50 CFR 229.6, any 

vessel owner or operator or gear owner 

or operator (in the case of non-vessel 

fisheries) participating in a fishery listed 

on the LOF must report to NMFS all 

incidental mortalities and injuries of 

marine mammals that occur during 

commercial fishing operations, 

regardless of the category in which the 

fishery is placed (i.e., Category I, 

Category II, or Category III) within 48 

hours of the end of the fishing trip or, 

in the case of non-vessel fisheries, 

fishing activity. ‘‘Injury’’ is defined in 

50 CFR 229.2 as a wound or other 

physical harm. In addition, any animal 

that ingests fishing gear or any animal 

that is released with fishing gear 

entangling, trailing, or perforating any 

part of the body is considered injured 

regardless of the presence of any wound 

or other evidence of injury and must be 

reported. 

Mortality/injury reporting forms and 

instructions for submitting forms to 

NMFS can be found at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-authorizationprogram#reporting-a-death-or-injury-ofa-marine-mammal-during-commercialfishing-operations or by contacting the 

appropriate regional office (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Forms 

may be submitted online using the 

electronic form, emailed as an 

attachment to nmfs.mireport@noaa.gov, 

faxed to the NMFS Office of Protected 

Resources at 301–713–0376, or 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). Reporting requirements and 

procedures are found in 50 CFR 229.6. 

Am I required to take an observer 

aboard my vessel? 

Individuals participating in a 

Category I or II fishery are required to 

accommodate an observer aboard their 

vessel(s) upon request from NMFS. 

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. 

Observer requirements are found in 50 

CFR 229.7. 

Am I required to comply with any 

marine mammal TRP regulations? 

Table 4 provides a LOF affected by 

TRPs and TRTs. TRP regulations are 

found at 50 CFR 229.30 through 229.37. 

A description of each TRT and copies of 

each TRP can be found at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-take-reduction-plans-andteams. It is the responsibility of fishery 

participants to comply with applicable 

take reduction regulations. 

Where can I find more information 

about the LOF and the MMAP? 

Information regarding the LOF and 

the MMAP including registration 

procedures and forms, current and past 

LOFs, descriptions of each Category I 

and II fishery and some Category III 

fisheries, observer requirements, and 

marine mammal mortality/injury 

reporting forms and submittal 

procedures may be obtained at https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-protection-act-list-fisheries or 

from any NMFS Regional Office at the 

addresses listed below: 

NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional 

Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic 

Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930–2298, 

Attn: Cheryl Cross; 

NMFS, Southeast Region, 263 13th 

Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, 

Attn: Jessica Powell; 

NMFS, West Coast Region, Long 

Beach Office, 501 W Ocean Blvd., Suite 

4200, Long Beach, CA 90802–4213, 

Attn: Dan Lawson; 


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NMFS, Alaska Region, Protected 

Resources, P.O. Box 22668, 709 West 

9th Street, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: 

Suzie Teerlink; or 

NMFS, Pacific Islands Regional 

Office, Protected Resources Division, 

1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176, 

Honolulu, HI 96818, Attn: Elena Duke. 

Sources of Information Reviewed for 

the 2025 LOF 

NMFS reviewed the marine mammal 

incidental M/SI information presented 

in the SARs for all fisheries to 

determine whether changes in fishery 

classification were warranted. The SARs 

are based on the best scientific 

information available at the time of 

preparation, including the level of M/SI 

of marine mammals that occurs 

incidental to commercial fishery 

operations and the PBR levels of marine 

mammal stocks. 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. 

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, as well as on 

uncertainties in the science, research 

needs, and other issues (see 16 U.S.C. 

1386(d)). 

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 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 

documents. 

The LOF for 2025 was based on, 

among other things, stranding data, 

fishermen self-reports, and SARs 

(primarily the draft 2023 SARs, which 

are based on data from 2017–2021). The 

SARs referenced in this LOF include 

2022 (88 FR 54592, August 11, 2023) 

and 2023 (89 FR 5495, January 29, 

2024). The SARs are available at https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-stock-assessment-reportsregion. We expect that the 2023 SARs 

will be finalized before the final 2025 

LOF is published. 

Summary of Changes to the LOF for 

2025 

The following summarizes proposed 

changes to the LOF for 2025, 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. NMFS proposes to 

add seven fisheries, remove one fishery 

and reclassify one fishery in the LOF for 

2025. NMFS also proposes changes to 

the estimated number of vessels/persons 

and list of species and/or stocks killed 

or injured in certain fisheries. The 

classifications and definitions of U.S. 

commercial fisheries for 2025 are 

identical to those provided in the LOF 

for 2024, except for the changes 

discussed below. State and regional 

abbreviations used in the following 

paragraphs include AK (Alaska), CA 

(California), HI (Hawaii), MA 

(Massachusetts) OR (Oregon), and WA 

(Washington). 

Commercial Fisheries in the Pacific 

Ocean 

Classification of Fisheries 

NMFS proposes to reclassify the 

Category I CA Dungeness crab pot 

fishery to a Category II fishery. The most 

recent estimate of annual M/SI of the 

Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/ 

OR/WA stock of humpback whales from 

2017 through 2021 is 1.18, which is 33.8 

percent of this stock’s PBR of 3.5 

(Carretta et al., 2023; Carretta et al., 

2023a). Because the estimated M/SI is 

between 1 and 50 percent of the stock’s 

PBR, NMFS proposes to reclassify the 

CA Dungeness crab pot fishery from a 

Category I to a Category II fishery. 

Addition of Fisheries 

NMFS proposes to add the AK 

invertebrate aquaculture fishery as a 

Category III fishery. Operations occur 

statewide but are primarily in Southeast 

Alaska, Prince William Sound, and 

Kachemak Bay. Invertebrate aquaculture 

in Alaska is generally stationary aquatic 

farms for commercial production of 

oysters. Gear is stagnant in the water 

and generally occurs in shallow depths 

with an average aquatic farm depth 15 

feet. Invertebrate aquaculture is 

managed and permitted by the State of 

Alaska. There are 46 active permits for 

invertebrate aquaculture in Alaska. 

Marine invertebrate species cultivated 

include Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas), 

blue mussel (Mytilus trossulus), Arctic 

razor clam (Siliqua alta), Pacific razor 

clam (Siliqua patula), littleneck clam 

(Leukoma staminea), butter clam 

(Saxidomus giganteus), Pacific geoduck 

(Panopea abrupta), cockle species, 

scallop species, sea urchin species, King 

crab species, pinto abalone and red sea 

cucumber. 

Currently, the majority of invertebrate 

aquaculture farms in Alaska use stacked 

wire-mesh trays hanging from rafts or 

longlines with minimal horizontal lines 

on the surface. There are a number of 

different methods of invertebrate 

aquaculture, including onshore or 

floating hatcheries/nurseries, bottom 

planting, on-bottom culture, and 

suspended culture. Each of these 

methods may employ a variety of gear 

types and materials. 

Bottom planting methods involve 

seeding the substrate with larvae. These 

‘‘clam beds’’ are often protected from 

predators and environmental stressors 

by mesh netting, PVC tubes, or other 

materials. Harvest methods may include 

hand collection, raking, and use of 

divers and water jets. 

On-bottom culture methods generally 

use cages, racks, or bags attached to the 

substrate in shallow waters. Suspended 

culture methods are used in shallow 

and deeper waters and generally employ 

racks, cages, nets, and/or bags attached 

to longlines or floating rafts that are 

anchored to the substrate. Harvests of 

on-bottom and suspended methods may 

be manual or mechanically assisted 

(e.g., cranes or winches attached to work 

skiffs or barges). 

Commercial invertebrate aquaculture 

has been permitted by the State of 

Alaska since the 1980s, and there are no 

known marine mammal M/SI incidental 

to invertebrate aquaculture in Alaska. 

Therefore, no marine mammal species/ 

stocks are identified in table 1. Marine 

mammal species/stocks will be added to 

the list if incidental mortalities or 

injuries are documented in this fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the AK 

macroalgae aquaculture fishery as a 

Category III fishery. Operations occur 

statewide but are primarily in Southeast 

Alaska, Prince William Sound, and 

Kachemak Bay. Macroalgae aquaculture 

gear is stagnant in the water and 

generally occurs in shallow depths with 

an average aquatic farm depth 15 feet. 

Macroalgae aquaculture is managed and 

permitted by the State of Alaska. There 

are 39 active permits for macroalgae 

aquaculture in Alaska. 

Species cultivated are species native 

to Alaska, including bull kelp, giant 

kelp, red ribbon-dulse ribbon kelp, 

black seaweed-nori, sugar kelp, dragon 

kelp, sea lettuce, three-ribbed kelp, and 

seagrass laver. 

Gear used for macroalgae production 

varies depending on the species 

cultured, scale of operations, 

environmental conditions, cost of gear, 

maintenance requirements, and harvest 

strategy. Production can be as small as 

a single line with an anchor on bottom 

and a buoy on top or as complex as 

industrial longline production systems. 

Most macroalgae is grown close to shore 

in shallow waters and close to the 

surface for sufficient sunlight for 

photosynthesis. The primary methods 


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are longlines, grid/array systems, and 

raft/net systems. 

Commercial macroalgae aquaculture 

has been permitted by the State of 

Alaska since 2016, and there are no 

known marine mammal M/SI incidental 

to macroalgae aquaculture in Alaska. In 

addition, University of Alaska Southeast 

(UAS) and the University of Alaska 

Fairbanks (UAF) provided comments on 

the proposed LOF for 2024 (88 FR 

62748, September 13, 2023) in response 

to NMFS’ request for public input on 

aquaculture fishery descriptions. UAS 

and UAF have ongoing aquaculture 

research, including longline kelp 

installments near Juneau, Alaska. They 

both provided their observations of 

marine mammals near their aquaculture 

research locations. UAS and UAF 

commented that there are reports of 

marine mammals near the longline kelp 

gear but no entanglements or known 

physical interactions have occurred. 

Therefore, no marine mammal species/ 

stocks are identified in table 1. Marine 

mammal species/stocks will be added to 

the list if incidental mortalities or 

injuries are documented in this fishery. 

Fishery Name and Organizational 

Changes and Clarifications 

NMFS proposes to add the superscript 

‘‘1’’ to the Central America/Southern 

Mexico-CA/OR/WA stocks of humpback 

whale to indicate that M/SI of the stock 

is determining the Category II 

classification of the CA thresher shark/ 

swordfish drift gillnet (≥14 inch (in) 

mesh) fishery. NMFS also proposes to 

remove the superscript ‘‘1’’ from the 

CA/OR/WA stock of sperm whale to 

indicate that M/SI of the stock is no 

longer determining in the Category II 

classification of the CA thresher shark/ 

swordfish drift gillnet (≥14 in mesh) 

fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the superscript 

‘‘1’’ to the Eastern North Pacific stock of 

blue whale to indicate that M/SI of the 

stock is determining the Category II 

classification of the CA Dungeness crab 

pot fishery. 

Number of Vessels/Persons 

NMFS updates the estimated number 

of vessels/persons in the Pacific Ocean 

(table 1) as follows: 

Category II 

• CA Dungeness crab pot fishery from 

471 to 469 vessels/persons; 

• CA halibut/white seabass and other 

species set gillnet (≤3.5 in mesh) fishery 

from 39 to 41 vessels/persons; 

• CA yellowtail, barracuda, and white 

seabass drift gillnet (mesh size ≥3.5 in 

and <14 in) fishery from 20 to eight 8 

vessels/persons; 

• CA spiny lobster fishery from 189 to 

174 vessels/persons; 

• CA spot prawn pot fishery from 22 

to 20 vessels/persons; 

• OR Dungeness crab pot fishery from 

323 to 352 vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR/CA sablefish pot fishery 

from 144 to 133 vessels/persons; 

• HI shallow-set longline fishery from 

14 to 17 vessels/persons; 

• American Samoa longline fishery 

from 11 to 9 vessels/persons; 

• HI shortline fishery from 8 to 11 

vessels/persons; 

Category III 

• CA herring set gillnet fishery from 

11 to 9 vessels/persons; 

• WA Grays Harbor salmon drift 

gillnet (excluding treaty Tribal fishing) 

fishery from 19 to 20 vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR Mainstem Columbia River 

eulachon gillnet fishery from 10 to 8 

vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR lower Columbia River 

(includes tributaries) drift net fishery 

from 244 to 207 vessels/persons; 

• WA Willapa Bay drift gillnet fishery 

from 57 to 47 vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR sardine purse seine fishery 

from six to zero vessels/persons; 

• CA anchovy, mackerel, sardine 

purse seine fishery from 53 to 56 

vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR Lower Columbia River 

salmon seine fishery from one to zero 

vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR herring, anchovy, smelt, 

squid purse seine or lampara fishery 

from 41 to 48 vessels/persons; 

• HI lift net fishery from 14 to 13 

vessels/persons; 

• HI throw net, cast net fishery from 

13 to 12 vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR/CA albacore surface hook 

and line/troll fishery from 556 to 538 

vessels/persons; 

• CA halibut, white seabass, and 

yellowtail hook and line/handline 

fishery from 388 435 vessels/persons; 

• American Samoa tuna troll fishery 

from six to five vessels/persons; 

• CA/OR/WA salmon troll fishery 

from 1,030 to 808 vessels/persons; 

• HI troll fishery from 1,124 to 1,186 

vessels/persons; 

• HI rod and reel fishery from 235 to 

208 vessels/persons; 

• Guam tuna troll fishery from 450 to 

546 vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR/CA groundfish, bottomfish 

longline/set line fishery from 314 to 296 

vessels/persons; 

• HI kaka line fishery from 17 to 12 

vessels/persons; 

• HI vertical line fishery from six to 

less than three vessels/persons; 

• CA sea cucumber trawl fishery from 

11 to 9 vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR/CA shrimp trawl fishery 

from 130 to 114 vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR/CA groundfish trawl 

fishery from 118 to 104 vessels/persons; 

• CA Tanner crab pot fishery from 

one to two vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR/CA hagfish pot fishery 

from 63 to 57 vessels/persons; 

• WA Puget Sound Dungeness crab 

pot/trap fishery from 145 to 139 vessels/ 

persons; 

• HI fish trap fishery from four to less 

than three vessels/persons; 

• HI crab net fishery from four to less 

than three vessels/persons; 

• HI Kona crab loop net fishery from 

13 to 17 vessels/persons; 

• American Samoa bottomfish fishery 

from 44 to 87 vessels/persons; 

• Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands bottomfish fishery from 

seven to three vessels/persons; 

• Guam bottomfish fishery from 63 to 

93 vessels/persons; 

• HI bottomfish handline fishery from 

392 to 299 vessels/persons; 

• HI pelagic handline fishery from 

271 to 382 vessels/persons; 

• CA/OR/WA dive collection fishery 

from 186 to 157 vessels/persons; 

• HI black coral diving fishery from 

none recorded to less than three; 

• HI handpick fishery from 25 to 24 

vessels/persons; 

• HI lobster diving fishery from 12 to 

8 vessels/persons; 

• HI spearfishing fishery from 67 to 

58 vessels/persons; 

• WA/OR/CA hand/mechanical 

collection fishery from 320 to 258 

vessels/persons; 

• CA nearshore finfish trap fishery 

from 42 to 43 vessels/persons, and 

• HI aquarium collecting fishery from 

none recorded to 12. 

List of Species and/or Stocks 

Incidentally Killed or Injured in the 

Pacific Ocean 

NMFS proposes to correct an 

administrative error in table 1. Based on 

public comment, NMFS added the 

Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/ 

OR/WA and Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/ 

WA stocks of humpback whale to the 

list of species/stocks incidentally killed 

or injured in the Category III WA/OR/ 

CA groundfish/finfish hook and line 

fishery in the final 2024 LOF (89 FR 

12257, February 16, 2024) based on a 

2021 humpback whale entanglement 

(Carretta et al., 2023a). Upon further 

review of the entanglement report, 

NMFS determined the 2021 humpback 

whale entanglement was not a 

confirmed entanglement. Because the 

entanglement was not confirmed, 

following NMFS’ Process for 

Distinguishing Serious from NonVerDate Sep<11>2014 17:39 Sep 23, 2024 Jkt 262001 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\24SEP1.SGM 24SEP1

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Serious Injury of Marine Mammals an 

injury determination was not conducted 

for this event (NMFS, 2023). Therefore, 

NMFS proposes to remove the Central 

America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA 

and Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA 

stocks of humpback whale from the list 

of species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category III WA/OR/CA 

groundfish/finfish hook and line 

fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the North 

Pacific stock of fin whale to the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category II AK Bering 

Sea, Aleutian Islands pollock trawl 

fishery based on a self-reported 

mortality in 2019 (Freed et al., 2023). 

NMFS proposes to add the CA/OR/ 

WA stock of minke whale to the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category II OR Dungeness 

crab pot fishery. In 2021, a minke whale 

was reported entangled in OR 

Dungeness crab pot gear off the coast of 

San Diego, CA, with line bridled 

through the mouth and trailing buoys 

(Carretta et al., 2023a). 

NMFS proposes to add the unknown 

stock of beaked whale to the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category II HI shallow-set 

longline fishery based on an observed 

serious injury in 2021 (McCracken and 

Cooper 2022). 

NMFS proposes to add the Beringia 

stock of bearded seal to the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category III AK Bering 

Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod 

longline fishery based on an observed 

mortality in 2021 (Freed et al., 2023). 

NMFS proposes to remove the Bering 

Sea stock of harbor porpoise and the 

Western North Pacific stock of 

humpback whale from the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category II AK Bering 

Sea, Aleutian Islands flatfish trawl 

fishery. This fishery has 100 percent 

observer coverage, and from 2016–2021 

there have been no reported or observed 

M/SI of these two stocks in the AK 

Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands flatfish 

trawl fishery (Freed et al., 2023 and 

Young et al., 2023). 

NMFS proposes to remove the Alaska 

stock of bearded seal from the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category III AK Bering 

Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod trawl 

fishery. Observer coverage for this 

fishery is between 67 and 80 percent, 

and from 2014–2021 there have been no 

reported or observed M/SI of this stock 

in the AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands 

Pacific cod trawl fishery (Freed et al., 

2023). 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Western U.S. stock of Steller sea lion 

from the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category III AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific 

cod trawl fishery. Observer coverage for 

this fishery is between 11 and 100 

percent, and from 2017–2021 there have 

been no reported or observed M/SI of 

this stock in the AK Gulf of Alaska 

Pacific cod trawl fishery (Young et al., 

In press). The list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in this 

fishery is updated to state that none 

have been documented in the most 

recent 5 years of data. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Western U.S. stock of Steller sea lion 

from the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category III AK Gulf of Alaska rockfish 

trawl fishery. Observer coverage for this 

fishery is between 93 and 98 percent, 

and from 2017–2021 there have been no 

reported or observed M/SI of this stock 

in the AK Gulf of Alaska rockfish trawl 

fishery (Young et al., In press). The list 

of species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in this fishery is proposed to be 

updated to state that none have been 

documented in the most recent 5 years 

of data. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Western U.S. stock of Steller sea lion 

from the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category III AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific 

cod longline fishery. Observer coverage 

for this fishery is between 0 and 39 

percent, and from 2017–2021, there 

have been no reported or observed M/ 

SI of this stock in the AK Gulf of Alaska 

Pacific cod longline fishery (Young et 

al., In press). 

Commercial Fisheries in the Atlantic 

Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean 

Addition of Fisheries 

NMFS received comments on the 

proposed LOF for 2024 (88 FR 62748, 

September 13, 2023) in response to 

NMFS’ request for public input on 

aquaculture fishery descriptions. NMFS 

reviewed and considered the public 

submission of the publication Bath et 

al., 2023 when proposing the addition 

and associated classification of the four 

aquaculture fisheries described below. 

The regulatory definition of a 

Category II fishery (50 CFR 229.2) 

provides for NMFS to evaluate factors 

such as fishing techniques, gear used, 

methods used to deter marine mammals, 

target species, seasons and areas fished, 

qualitative data from logbooks or fisher 

reports, stranding data, and the species 

and distribution of marine mammals in 

the area when there is no reliable 

information on the frequency of 

incidental M/SI in a given fishery. In the 

absence of reliable information on 

incidental M/SI, NMFS proposes to 

classify the aquaculture rafts fishery, 

bottom culture (trays/cages) with buoys 

fishery, and longline aquaculture as 

Category II fisheries based on analogy to 

other Category II fisheries that use 

vertical buoy lines. Vertical buoy lines 

pose a known entanglement risk for 

large whales that can result in mortality 

and serious injury. Additional 

information for the aquaculture rafts 

fishery, bottom culture (trays/cages) 

with buoys fishery and longline 

aquaculture are provided below. 

NMFS proposes to add the 

aquaculture rafts fishery as a Category II 

fishery (50 CFR 229.2) and proposes to 

add the superscript ‘‘2’’ to indicate this 

fishery is classified by analogy. This 

fishery operates in Maine State waters 

and harvests mussels. Gear consists of a 

steel beam frame with wooden 

crossbeams supporting vertical lines 

with floats. This fishery has less than 15 

active permits. 

There is no information on marine 

mammal M/SI incidental to this fishery. 

Therefore, no marine mammal species/ 

stocks are identified in table 2. Marine 

mammal species/stocks will be added to 

the list if incidental mortalities or 

injuries are documented in this fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the bottom 

culture (trays/cages) with buoys fishery 

as a Category II fishery (50 CFR 229.2) 

and proposes to add the superscript ‘‘2’’ 

to indicate this fishery is classified by 

analogy. This fishery operates in the 

Atlantic from Maine through Florida. 

Gear consists of a cage resting on the 

seafloor to seed or further grow out 

shellfish. The cages are attached with a 

vertical line to a floating buoy on the 

surface; vertical buoy lines present a 

known risk of entanglement of large 

whales in many other fisheries. Harvest 

species in this fishery include mussels, 

oysters and other shellfish. The number 

of participants in this fishery is 

unknown. 

There is no information on marine 

mammal M/SI incidental to this fishery. 

Therefore, no marine mammal species/ 

stocks are identified in table 2. Marine 

mammal species/stocks will be added to 

the list if incidental mortalities or 

injuries are documented in this fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the longline 

aquaculture fishery as a Category II 

fishery (50 CFR 229.2) and proposes to 

add the superscript ‘‘2’’ to indicate this 

fishery is classified by analogy. This 

fishery operates in the Atlantic from 

Maine through Florida. Gear consists of 

a main horizontal longline that is 

moored, anchored or supported by 


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poles. From this line extend any of the 

following: (1) bags or cages that are 

supported by floats/buoys (suspended 

floating gear), (2) vertical lines with bags 

or cages usually hung in horizontal rows 

at the surface (suspended gear), and (3) 

a series of vertically aligned nets or 

compartments (e.g. lantern/pearl nets). 

These three gear types contain shellfish 

seed. The fourth gear configuration has 

target species hung directly from the 

lines or seeded/grown on vertical 

hanging lines (drop or continuous). Any 

of these arrangements could use vertical 

buoys to support the horizontal 

longline. Harvest species in this fishery 

include oysters, scallops, mussels and 

macroalgae. The number of participants 

in this fishery is unknown. 

There is no information on marine 

mammal M/SI incidental to this fishery. 

Therefore, no marine mammal species/ 

stocks are identified in table 2. Marine 

mammal species/stocks will be added to 

the list if incidental mortalities or 

injuries are documented in this fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the on-bottom/ 

off-bottom culture (trays/cages) fishery 

without buoys as a Category III fishery. 

This fishery operates in the Atlantic 

from Maine through Florida. Gear 

consists of the following: (1) mesh bags, 

stacked mesh bags, or cages containing 

shellfish seed placed directly on the 

seafloor that require mesh predator 

netting (of a variety of sizes) used as a 

deterrent; (2) stiff plastic mesh bags or 

trays resting above the seafloor on racks 

(a rigid table-like frame) to seed or 

further grow out shellfish; and (3) shell 

on bottom, whereby shellfish are grown 

in natural conditions with no 

containment. Harvest species in this 

fishery include oysters and shellfish. 

The number of participants in this 

fishery is unknown. 

There is no information on marine 

mammal M/SI incidental to this fishery. 

Therefore, no marine mammal species/ 

stocks are identified in table 2. Marine 

mammal species/stocks will be added to 

the list if incidental mortalities or 

injuries are documented in this fishery. 

This fishery is proposed as a Category 

III fishery because it has a remote 

likelihood of risk to marine mammals 

given the gear used (i.e., lack of loose or 

vertical lines, which have been 

implicated in documented entanglement 

cases (Bath et al., 2023)). 

NMFS proposes to add the 

Massachusetts green crab pot fishery as 

a Category III fishery. This fishery is 

managed by the State of Massachusetts. 

It operates entirely in shallow (4 to 15 

feet), inshore Massachusetts State 

waters in estuaries, harbors, tidal creeks 

and salt marshes from April to 

November and targets green crab 

(Carcinus maenas). This fishery uses 

wire, mesh pots that are discernible 

from other crab pot gear because the 

pots have a top entry design and are 

often homemade. Because the green crab 

is an invasive species, permits are not 

required to participate in the fishery; 

however, letters of authorization are 

currently issued to 78 commercial 

participants. 

This fishery has been operating and 

regulated in MA for over 60 years 

(Annotated Laws of Massachusetts, GL 

ch. 130, section 37A, 2024) and there 

are no documented marine mammal M/ 

SI incidental to this fishery. Therefore, 

NMFS proposes to classify the 

Massachusetts green crab pot fishery as 

a Category III fishery and no marine 

mammal species/stocks are identified in 

table 2. Marine mammal species/stocks 

will be added to the list if incidental 

mortalities or injuries are documented 

in this fishery. 

Fishery Name and Organizational 

Changes and Clarifications 

NMFS proposes to revise the fishery 

description, distribution and name for 

the Category III finfish aquaculture 

fishery. This fishery operates in Maine 

State waters and harvests salmon 

species. The fishery uses net pens with 

rigid, circular or polygonal frames that 

provide overall stability and support for 

the netting that contains the target 

species. A net pen can be fixed at the 

surface or lowered/raised in the water 

column. Vertical mooring lines are used 

to attach the net pens to the seafloor. 

This fishery has approximately 25 active 

permits. NMFS proposes to revise the 

name of the Category III finfish 

aquaculture fishery to the Category III 

net pen aquaculture fishery to clarify 

the gear type used in this fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the superscript 

‘‘1’’ to the Gulf of Maine stock of 

humpback whale to indicate that M/SI 

of the stock is determining the Category 

II classification of the Chesapeake Bay 

inshore gillnet fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the superscript 

‘‘1’’ to the Western North Atlantic stock 

of common dolphin to indicate that M/ 

Si of the stock is determining the 

Category II classification of the 

Northeast bottom trawl fishery. NMFS 

also proposes to remove the superscript 

‘‘1’’ from the Western North Atlantic 

stock of Risso’s dolphin to indicate that 

M/SI of the stock is no longer 

determining the Category II 

classification of the Northeast bottom 

trawl fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the superscript 

‘‘1’’ to the Gulf of Maine stock of 

humpback whale to indicate that M/SI 

of the stock is determining the Category 

II classification of the MA mixed species 

trap/pot fishery. 

List of Species and/or Stocks 

Incidentally Killed or Injured in the 

Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and 

Caribbean 

NMFS proposes to add the Gulf of 

Maine, Bay of Fundy stock of harbor 

porpoise to the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category I Northeast/mid-Atlantic 

American lobster and Jonah crab trap/ 

pot fishery based on a self-reported 

mortality in 2023. 

NMFS proposes to add the Gulf of 

Maine stock of humpback whale and 

Canadian East Coast stock of minke 

whale to the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category II Chesapeake Bay inshore 

gillnet fishery. In January 2020, a dead 

humpback whale was reported in 

Virginia heavily entangled in gillnet 

gear (Henry et al., 2022). Also in 

February 2020, a minke whale was 

reported in Virginia entangled in gillnet 

gear resulting in a mortality (Hayes et 

al., In press). 

NMFS proposes to add the Western 

North Atlantic stock of white-sided 

dolphin to the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category II mid-Atlantic mid-water 

trawl (including pair trawl) fishery 

based on a self-reported mortality in 

2020. 

NMFS proposes to add the Western 

North Atlantic stock of Globicephala 

spp. (long-finned or short-finned pilot 

whale) to the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category II mid-Atlantic bottom trawl 

fishery based on an observed injury in 

2021 (Josephson and Lyssikatos 2023). 

NMFS proposes to add the Northern 

Georgia/Southern South Carolina 

estuarine system stock of bottlenose 

dolphin to the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category II Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, 

Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl fishery 

based on a self-reported injury in 2023. 

NMFS proposes to add the Gulf of 

Maine stock of humpback whale to the 

list of species/stocks incidentally killed 

or injured in the Category II MA mixed 

species trap/pot fishery. In June 2020, a 

humpback whale was reported 

entangled off Chatham, MA. The whale 

was partially disentangled and 

determined to be a prorated (0.75) 

serious injury (Henry et al., 2022). 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Western North Atlantic stock of hooded 

seal from the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category I mid-Atlantic gillnet fishery. 

This fishery was observed between 1 


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and 13 percent; from 2017–2021, there 

have been no reported or observed M/ 

SI of this stock in this fishery. 

NMFS proposes to remove six stocks 

from the list of species/stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category I Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, 

Gulf of Mexico large pelagics longline 

fishery. The six stocks are (1) Western 

North Atlantic stock of false killer 

whale; (2) Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy 

stock of harbor porpoise; (3) Canadian 

East coast stock of minke whale; (4) Gulf 

of Mexico stock of pygmy sperm whale; 

(5) Northern Gulf of Mexico stock of 

Risso’s dolphin; and (6) Northern Gulf 

of Mexico stock of sperm whale. This 

fishery was observed between 8.7 and 

13.3 percent; from 2017–2021, there 

have been no reported or observed M/ 

SI of these stocks in this fishery (Hayes 

et al., In press; Garrison and Stokes 

2023). 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Western North Atlantic stock of shortfinned pilot whale from the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category III Atlantic 

Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean 

commercial passenger fishing vessel 

fishery. From 2017–2021, there have 

been no reported or observed M/SI of 

these stocks in this fishery (Hayes et al., 

In press). 

Commercial Fisheries on the High Seas 

Number of Vessels/Persons 

NMFS updates the estimated number 

of HSFCA permits for high seas fisheries 

(table 3) as follows: 

Category I 

• Atlantic Highly Migratory Species 

longline fishery from 30 to 35 HSFCA 

permits; 

Category II 

• South Pacific albacore troll longline 

fishery from six to five HSFCA permits; 

• Western Pacific Pelagic (HI 

Shallow-set component) fishery from 14 

to 17 HSFCA permits; 

• Pacific highly migratory species 

handline/pole and line fishery from 36 

to 39 HSFCA permits; 

• South Pacific albacore troll 

handline/pole and line fishery from one 

to two HSFCA permits; 

• South Pacific albacore troll fishery 

from 23 to 24 HSFCA permits; 

Category III 

• Northwest Atlantic bottom longline 

fishery from one to zero HSFCA 

permits; 

• Pacific highly migratory species 

longline fishery from 119 to 104 HSFCA 

permits; 

• Northwest Atlantic trawl fishery 

from one to zero HSFCA permits; and 

• Pacific highly migratory species 

troll fishery from 95 to 98 HSFCA 

permits. 

List of Species and/or Stocks 

Incidentally Killed or Injured on the 

High Seas 

NMFS proposes to update the 

humpback whale stocks on the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category II Pacific highly 

migratory species drift gillnet fishery 

from humpback whale, CA/OR/WA to 

humpback whale, Central America/ 

Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA and 

humpback whale, Mainland MexicoCA/OR/WA stock based on the revised 

stock structures in the 2022 SAR 

(Carretta et al., 2023). 

NMFS proposes to add the unknown 

stock of beaked whale to the list of 

species/stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category II Western 

Pacific Pelagic longline fishery (HI 

shallow-set component) based on an 

observed serious injury in 2021 

(McCracken and Cooper, 2022). As 

noted in table 3, 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 the U.S. 

waters component of the fishery minus 

species and/or stocks that have 

geographic ranges exclusively in coastal 

waters. 

List of Fisheries 

The following tables set forth the list 

of U.S. commercial fisheries according 

to their classification under section 118 

of the MMPA. Table 1 lists commercial 

fisheries in the Pacific Ocean (including 

Alaska); table 2 lists commercial 

fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and Caribbean; table 3 lists 

commercial fisheries on the high seas; 

and table 4 lists fisheries affected by 

TRPs or TRTs. 

In tables 1 and 2, the estimated 

number of vessels or persons 

participating in fisheries operating 

within U.S. waters is expressed in terms 

of the number of active participants in 

the fishery, when possible. If this 

information is not available, the 

estimated number of vessels or persons 

licensed for a particular fishery is 

provided. If no recent information is 

available on the number of participants, 

vessels, or persons licensed in a fishery, 

then the number from the most recent 

LOF is used for the estimated number of 

vessels or persons in the fishery. NMFS 

acknowledges that, in some cases, these 

estimates may be inflations of actual 

effort. For example, the State of Hawaii 

does not issue fishery-specific licenses, 

and the number of participants reported 

in the LOF represents the number of 

commercial marine license holders who 

reported using a particular fishing gear 

type/method at least once in a given 

year without considering how many 

times the gear was used. For these 

fisheries, effort by a single participant is 

counted the same whether the 

fisherman used the gear only once or 

every day. In the Mid-Atlantic and New 

England fisheries, the numbers 

represent the potential effort for each 

fishery, given the multiple gear types for 

which several State permits may allow. 

Changes made to Mid-Atlantic and New 

England fishery participants will not 

affect observer coverage or bycatch 

estimates as observer coverage and 

bycatch estimates are based on vessel 

trip reports and landings data. Tables 1 

and 2 serve to provide a description of 

the fishery’s potential effort (State and 

Federal). If NMFS is able to gather more 

accurate information on the gear types 

used by State permit holders in the 

future, the numbers will be updated to 

reflect this change. For additional 

information on fishing effort in fisheries 

found on table 1 or 2, contact the 

relevant regional office (contact 

information included above in the 

section: Where can I find more 

information about the LOF and the 

MMAP?). 

For high seas fisheries, table 3 lists 

the number of valid HSFCA permits 

currently held. Although this likely 

overestimates the number of active 

participants in many of these fisheries, 

the number of valid HSFCA permits is 

the most reliable data on the potential 

effort in high seas fisheries at this time. 

As noted previously, the number of 

HSFCA permits listed in table 3 for the 

high seas components of fisheries that 

also operate within U.S. waters does not 

necessarily represent additional effort 

not accounted for in tables 1 and 2. 

Many vessels holding HSFCA permits 

also fish within U.S. waters and are 

included in the number of vessels and 

participants operating within those 

fisheries in tables 1 and 2. 

Tables 1, 2, and 3 also list the marine 

mammal species and/or stocks 

incidentally killed or injured (seriously 

or non-seriously) in each fishery based 

on SARs, injury determination reports, 

bycatch estimation reports, observer 

data, logbook data, stranding data, 

disentanglement network data, 

fishermen self-reports (i.e., MMAP 

reports), and anecdotal reports. The best 

available scientific information 

included in these reports is based on 

data through 2021. This list includes all 

species and/or stocks known to be killed 


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or injured in a given fishery but also 

includes species and/or stocks for 

which there are anecdotal records of a 

mortality or injury. Additionally, 

species identified by logbook entries, 

stranding data, or fishermen self-reports 

(i.e., MMAP reports) may not be 

verified. In tables 1 and 2, NMFS has 

designated which species/stocks for 

which M/SI are determining 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 

including a ‘‘1’’ after the stock’s name. 

In tables 1 and 2, there are several 

fisheries classified as Category II that 

have no recent documented M/SI of 

marine mammals or fisheries that did 

not result in a M/SI rate greater than 1 

percent of a stock’s PBR level based on 

known interactions. NMFS has 

classified these fisheries by analogy to 

other Category I or II fisheries that use 

similar fishing techniques or gear that 

are known to cause M/SI of marine 

mammals, as discussed in the final LOF 

for 1996 (60 FR 67063, December 28, 

1995) and according to factors listed in 

the definition of Category II and III 

fisheries in 50 CFR 229.2 (i.e., fishing 

techniques, gear types, methods used to 

deter marine mammals, target species, 

seasons and areas fished, qualitative 

data from logbooks or fishermen reports, 

stranding data, and the species and 

distribution of marine mammals in the 

area). NMFS has designated those 

fisheries listed by analogy in tables 1 

and 2 by adding a ‘‘2’’ after the fishery’s 

name. 

There are several fisheries in tables 1, 

2, and 3 in which a portion of the 

fishing vessels cross the Exclusive 

Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary and 

therefore operate both within U.S. 

waters and on the high seas. These 

fisheries, though listed separately on 

tables 1, 2, or 3, are considered the same 

fisheries on either side of the EEZ 

boundary. NMFS has designated those 

fisheries in each table with an asterisk 

(*) after the fisheries’ names. 

TABLE 1—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Category I 

Longline/Set Line Fisheries: 

HI deep-set longline * ∧ ................................................................... 146 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. 

False killer whale, HI Pelagic.1

False killer whale, MHI Insular. 

False killer whale, NWHI. 

Kogia spp. (Pygmy or dwarf sperm whale), HI. 

Risso’s dolphin, HI. 

Rough-toothed dolphin, HI. 

Short-finned pilot whale, HI. 

Gillnet Fisheries: 

AK Southeast salmon drift gillnet .................................................. 474 .............................. Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor porpoise, northern Southeast Alaska inland waters. 

Harbor porpoise, southern Southeast Alaska inland waters.1

Harbor seal, Southeast AK. 

Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, North Pacific. 

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

Category II 

Gillnet Fisheries: 

CA thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet (≥14 in mesh) * .............. 21 ................................ Bottlenose dolphin, CA/OR/WA offshore. 

California sea lion, U.S. 

Dall’s porpoise, CA/OR/WA. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

Minke whale, CA/OR/WA. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

Northern right-whale dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Risso’s dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Short-beaked common dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Short-finned pilot whale, CA/OR/WA.1

Sperm Whale, CA/OR/WA. 

CA halibut/white seabass and other species set gillnet (>3.5 in 

mesh).

41 ................................ California sea lion, U.S. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, CA. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

Southern sea otter, CA. 

Short-beaked common dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

CA yellowtail, barracuda, and white seabass drift gillnet (mesh 

size ≥3.5 in and <14 in) 2.

8 .................................. California sea lion, U.S. 

Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

Short-beaked common dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

AK Bristol Bay salmon drift gillnet 2 ............................................... 1,521 ........................... Beluga whale, Bristol Bay. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, Bristol Bay. 


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TABLE 1—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN—Continued 

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, North Pacific. 

Spotted seal, Bering. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Bristol Bay salmon set gillnet 2 ................................................ 855 .............................. Beluga whale, Bristol Bay. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, Bristol Bay. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Spotted seal, Bering. 

AK Kodiak salmon set gillnet ......................................................... 128 .............................. Harbor porpoise, GOA.1

Harbor seal, GOA. 

Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Western North Pacific. 

Northern sea otter, Southwest AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Cook Inlet salmon set gillnet 2 ................................................. 479 .............................. Beluga whale, Cook Inlet. 

Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor porpoise, GOA. 

Harbor seal, Cook Inlet/Shelikof Strait. 

Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

Northern sea otter, Southcentral AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Cook Inlet salmon drift gillnet .................................................. 355 .............................. Beluga whale, Cook Inlet. 

Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor porpoise, GOA.1

Harbor seal, GOA. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Peninsula/Aleutian Islands salmon drift gillnet 2 ...................... 148 .............................. Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor porpoise, GOA. 

Harbor seal, GOA. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

AK Peninsula/Aleutian Islands salmon set gillnet 2 ....................... 75 ................................ Harbor porpoise, Bering Sea. 

Northern sea otter, Southwest AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Prince William Sound salmon drift gillnet ................................ 483 .............................. Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor porpoise, GOA.1

Harbor seal, Prince William Sound. 

Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, North Pacific. 

Northern sea otter, Southcentral AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S.1

AK Yakutat salmon set gillnet ........................................................ 95 ................................ Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor Porpoise, Yakutat/Southeast Alaska offshore waters.1

Harbor seal, Southeast AK. 

Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

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).

136 .............................. Dall’s porpoise, CA/OR/WA. 

Harbor porpoise, inland WA.1

Harbor seal, WA inland. 

Trawl Fisheries: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands flatfish trawl ............................... 29 ................................ Bearded seal, Beringia. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, Bristol Bay. 

Killer whale, Eastern North Pacific Alaska resident.1

Killer whale, Eastern North Pacific GOA, AI, BS transient.1

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Ringed seal, Arctic. 

Ribbon seal. 

Spotted seal, Bering. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S.1

Walrus, AK. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands pollock trawl .............................. 116 .............................. Bearded seal, Beringia. 

Fin whale, North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, Bristol Bay. 

Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Western North Pacific. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, North Pacific. 

Ribbon seal. 

Ringed seal, Arctic. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S.1

Pot, Ring Net, and Trap Fisheries: 

CA Dungeness crab pot ................................................................ 469 .............................. Blue whale, Eastern North Pacific.1


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TABLE 1—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN—Continued 

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Killer whale, Eastern North Pacific GOA, BSAI transient. 

Killer whale, West Coast transient. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

CA coonstripe shrimp pot .............................................................. 9 .................................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, CA. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

CA spiny lobster ............................................................................. 174 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, CA/OR/WA offshore. 

California sea lion, U.S. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Southern sea otter, CA. 

CA spot prawn pot ......................................................................... 20 ................................ Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

OR Dungeness crab pot ................................................................ 352 .............................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Minke whale, CA/OR/WA. 

WA/OR/CA sablefish pot ............................................................... 133 .............................. Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

WA coastal Dungeness crab pot ................................................... 204 .............................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA.1

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Longline/Set Line Fisheries: 

AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish longline ............................................. 177 .............................. Northern elephant seal, California breeding. 

Sperm whale, North Pacific.1

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

HI shallow-set longline * ∧ ............................................................... 17 ................................ Beaked whale, unknown. 

Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. 

False killer whale, HI Pelagic.1

Guadalupe fur seal. 

Risso’s dolphin, HI. 

Striped dolphin, HI. 

American Samoa longline 2 ............................................................ 9 .................................. False killer whale, American Samoa. 

Rough-toothed dolphin, American Samoa. 

Striped dolphin, unknown. 

HI shortline 2 ................................................................................... 11 ................................ None documented. 

Marine Aquaculture Fisheries: 

HI offshore pen culture .................................................................. 1 .................................. Hawaiian monk seal. 

Category III 

Gillnet Fisheries: 

AK Kuskokwim, Yukon, Norton Sound, Kotzebue salmon gillnet 360 .............................. Harbor porpoise, Bering Sea. 

AK Prince William Sound salmon set gillnet ................................. 25 ................................ Harbor seal, GOA. 

Northern sea otter, Southcentral AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK roe herring and food/bait herring gillnet .................................. 15 ................................ None documented. 

CA herring set gillnet ..................................................................... 9 .................................. None documented. 

HI inshore gillnet ............................................................................ 26 ................................ Bottlenose dolphin, HI. 

Spinner dolphin, HI. 

WA Grays Harbor salmon drift gillnet (excluding treaty Tribal 

fishing).

20 ................................ Harbor seal, OR/WA coast. 

WA/OR Mainstem Columbia River eulachon gillnet ...................... 8 .................................. None documented. 

WA/OR lower Columbia River (includes tributaries) drift net ........ 207 .............................. California sea lion, U.S. 

Harbor seal, OR/WA coast. 

WA Willapa Bay drift gillnet ........................................................... 47 ................................ Harbor seal, OR/WA coast. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

Miscellaneous Net Fisheries: 

AK Cook Inlet salmon purse seine ................................................ 16 ................................ Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

AK Kodiak salmon purse seine ..................................................... 159 .............................. Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor seal, North Kodiak. 

Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Western North Pacific. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Southeast salmon purse seine ................................................ 206 .............................. Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

AK roe herring and food/bait herring purse seine ......................... 31 ................................ None documented. 

AK salmon beach seine ................................................................. 2 .................................. None documented. 

AK salmon purse seine (Prince William Sound, Chignik, Alaska 

Peninsula).

298 .............................. Harbor seal, GOA. 

Harbor seal, Prince William Sound. 


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TABLE 1—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN—Continued 

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

WA/OR sardine purse seine .......................................................... 0 .................................. None documented. 

CA anchovy, mackerel, sardine purse seine ................................. 56 ................................ California sea lion, U.S. 

Harbor seal, CA. 

CA squid purse seine .................................................................... 68 ................................ California sea lion, U.S. 

Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

Risso’s dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Short-beaked common dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

CA tuna purse seine * .................................................................... 14 ................................ None documented. 

WA/OR Lower Columbia River salmon seine ............................... 0 .................................. None documented. 

WA/OR herring, anchovy, smelt, squid purse seine or lampara ... 48 ................................ None documented. 

WA salmon seine ........................................................................... 81 ................................ None documented. 

WA salmon reef net ....................................................................... 11 ................................ None documented. 

HI lift net ......................................................................................... 13 ................................ None documented. 

HI inshore purse seine ................................................................... None recorded ............ None documented. 

HI throw net, cast net .................................................................... 12 ................................ None documented. 

HI seine net .................................................................................... 17 ................................ None documented. 

Dip Net Fisheries: 

CA squid dip net ............................................................................ 19 ................................ None documented. 

Marine Aquaculture Fisheries: 

AK invertebrate aquaculture .......................................................... 46 ................................ None documented. 

AK macroalgae aquaculture .......................................................... 39 ................................ None documented. 

CA marine shellfish aquaculture .................................................... unknown ..................... None documented.

CA salmon enhancement rearing pen ........................................... >1 ............................... None documented. 

CA white seabass enhancement net pens .................................... 13 ................................ California sea lion, U.S. 

WA salmon net pens ..................................................................... 14 ................................ California sea lion, U.S. 

Harbor seal, WA inland waters. 

WA/OR shellfish aquaculture ......................................................... 23 ................................ None documented. 

Troll Fisheries: 

WA/OR/CA albacore surface hook and line/troll ........................... 538 .............................. None documented. 

CA halibut, white seabass, and yellowtail hook and line/handline 435 .............................. None documented. 

CA/OR/WA non-albacore HMS hook and line ............................... 124 .............................. None documented. 

AK Gulf of Alaska groundfish hand troll and dinglebar troll .......... 4 .................................. None documented. 

AK salmon troll ............................................................................... 850 .............................. Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

American Samoa tuna troll ............................................................ 5 .................................. None documented. 

CA/OR/WA salmon troll ................................................................. 808 .............................. None documented. 

HI troll ............................................................................................. 1,186 ........................... Pantropical spotted dolphin, HI. 

HI rod and reel ............................................................................... 208 .............................. None documented. 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands tuna troll ........... 9 .................................. None documented. 

Guam tuna troll .............................................................................. 546 .............................. None documented. 

Longline/Set Line Fisheries: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Greenland turbot longline ......... 4 .................................. Killer whale, GOA, AI, BS transient. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod longline ................... 26 ................................ Bearded seal, Beringia. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands sablefish longline ...................... 8 .................................. None documented. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands halibut longline .......................... 84 ................................ Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Sperm whale, North Pacific. 

AK Gulf of Alaska halibut longline ................................................. 689 .............................. Harbor seal, Clarence Strait. 

Harbor seal, Cook Inlet. 

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod longline .......................................... 23 ................................ Harbor seal, Cook Inlet/Shelikof Strait. 

AK octopus/squid longline ............................................................. 0 .................................. None documented. 

AK State-managed waters longline/setline (including sablefish, 

rockfish, lingcod, and miscellaneous finfish).

464 .............................. None documented. 

WA/OR/CA groundfish, bottomfish longline/set line ...................... 296 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, CA/OR/WA offshore. 

California sea lion, U.S. 

Northern elephant seal, California breeding. 

Sperm whale, CA/OR/WA. 

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

WA/OR/CA Pacific halibut longline ................................................ 130 .............................. None documented. 

West Coast pelagic longline .......................................................... 4 .................................. None documented in the most recent 5 years of data. 

HI kaka line .................................................................................... 12 ................................ None documented. 

HI vertical line ................................................................................ Less than 3 ................. None documented. 

Trawl Fisheries: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Atka mackerel trawl .................. 17 ................................ Harbor seal, Aleutian Islands. 

Northern elephant seal, California. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod trawl ........................ 64 ................................ Ribbon seal. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands rockfish trawl ............................. 22 ................................ Harbor seal, Aleutian Islands. 

Ribbon seal. 

AK Gulf of Alaska flatfish trawl ...................................................... 16 ................................ Harbor seal, Cook Inlet/Shelikof Strait. 

Harbor seal, North Kodiak. 

Harbor seal, South Kodiak. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod trawl ............................................... 12 ................................ None documented in most recent 5 years of data. 

AK Gulf of Alaska pollock trawl ..................................................... 60 ................................ Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Gulf of Alaska rockfish trawl .................................................... 35 ................................ None documented in most recent 5 years of data. 

AK Kodiak food/bait herring otter trawl .......................................... 0 .................................. None documented. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
77802 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE 1—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN—Continued 

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

AK shrimp otter trawl and beam trawl ........................................... 12 ................................ None documented. 

CA halibut bottom trawl ................................................................. 23 ................................ California sea lion, U.S. 

Harbor porpoise, unknown. 

Harbor seal, unknown. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

Steller sea lion, unknown. 

CA sea cucumber trawl ................................................................. 9 .................................. California sea lion, U.S. 

WA/OR/CA shrimp trawl ................................................................ 114 .............................. California sea lion, U.S. 

WA/OR/CA groundfish trawl .......................................................... 104 .............................. California sea lion, U.S. 

Dall’s porpoise, CA/OR/WA. 

Harbor seal, OR/WA coast. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Northern right whale dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

Pot, Ring Net, and Trap Fisheries: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod pot .......................... 80 ................................ Harbor seal, Bristol Bay. 

Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Western North Pacific. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands sablefish pot .............................. 15 ................................ Sperm whale, North Pacific. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands crab pot ..................................... 73 ................................ Bowhead whale, Western Arctic. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

AK Gulf of Alaska crab pot ............................................................ 86 ................................ None documented. 

AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod pot ................................................. 48 ................................ None documented in most recent 5 years of data. 

AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish pot ..................................................... 129 .............................. None documented. 

AK Southeast Alaska crab pot ....................................................... 375 .............................. Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

AK Southeast Alaska shrimp pot ................................................... 104 .............................. Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

AK shrimp pot, except Southeast .................................................. 77 ................................ None documented. 

AK octopus/squid pot ..................................................................... 0 .................................. None documented. 

CA rock crab pot ............................................................................ 113 .............................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, CA. 

CA Tanner crab pot fishery ........................................................... 2 .................................. None documented. 

WA/OR/CA hagfish pot .................................................................. 57 ................................ None documented. 

WA/OR shrimp pot/trap .................................................................. 28 ................................ None documented. 

WA Puget Sound Dungeness crab pot/trap .................................. 139 .............................. None documented. 

HI crab trap .................................................................................... 4 .................................. Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

HI fish trap ..................................................................................... Less than 3 ................. None documented. 

HI lobster trap ................................................................................ Less than 3 ................. None documented in recent years. 

HI shrimp trap ................................................................................ 3 .................................. None documented. 

HI crab net ..................................................................................... Less than 3 ................. None documented. 

HI Kona crab loop net .................................................................... 17 ................................ None documented. 

Hook and Line, Handline, and Jig Fisheries: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands groundfish jig ............................. 2 .................................. None documented. 

AK Gulf of Alaska groundfish jig .................................................... 68 ................................ None documented in most recent 5 years of data. 

AK halibut jig .................................................................................. 5 .................................. None documented. 

American Samoa bottomfish .......................................................... 87 ................................ None documented. 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands bottomfish ........ 3 .................................. None documented. 

Guam bottomfish ............................................................................ 93 ................................ None documented. 

HI aku boat, pole, and line ............................................................ None recorded ............ None documented. 

HI bottomfish handline ................................................................... 299 .............................. None documented in recent years. 

HI inshore handline ........................................................................ 158 .............................. None documented. 

HI pelagic handline ........................................................................ 382 .............................. None documented. 

WA/OR/CA groundfish/finfish hook and line .................................. 689 .............................. California sea lion, U.S. 

Western Pacific squid jig ............................................................... 0 .................................. None documented. 

Harpoon Fisheries: 

CA swordfish harpoon ................................................................... 21 ................................ None documented. 

Pound Net/Weir Fisheries: 

AK herring spawn on kelp pound net ............................................ 143 .............................. None documented.

AK Southeast herring roe/food/bait pound net .............................. 1 .................................. None documented. 

HI bullpen trap ............................................................................... <3 ............................... None documented. 

Bait Pens: 

WA/OR/CA bait pens ..................................................................... 13 ................................ California sea lion, U.S. 

Dredge Fisheries: 

AK scallop dredge .......................................................................... 108 (5 AK) .................. None documented. 

Dive, Hand/Mechanical Collection Fisheries: 

AK clam .......................................................................................... 57 ................................ None documented. 

AK miscellaneous invertebrates handpick ..................................... 188 .............................. None documented. 

CA/OR/WA dive collection ............................................................. 157 .............................. None documented. 

CA/WA kelp, seaweed, and algae ................................................. 4 .................................. None documented. 

HI black coral diving ...................................................................... Less than 3 ................. None documented. 

HI fish pond .................................................................................... None recorded ............ None documented. 

HI handpick .................................................................................... 24 ................................ None documented. 

HI lobster diving ............................................................................. 8 .................................. None documented. 

HI spearfishing ............................................................................... 58 ................................ None documented. 

WA/OR/CA hand/mechanical collection ........................................ 258 .............................. None documented. 

Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (Charter Boat) Fisheries: 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 77803 

TABLE 1—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN—Continued 

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

AK/WA/OR/CA commercial passenger fishing vessel ................... >7,000 (1,006 AK) ...... Humpback whale, Hawai1i. 

Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Western North Pacific. 

Killer whale, unknown. 

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

Live Finfish/Shellfish Fisheries: 

CA nearshore finfish trap ............................................................... 43 ................................ None documented. 

HI aquarium collecting ................................................................... 12 ................................ None documented. 

List of Abbreviations and Symbols Used in table 1: 

AI—Aleutian Islands; AK—Alaska; BS—Bering Sea; CA—California; ENP—Eastern North Pacific; GOA—Gulf of Alaska; HI—Hawaii; MHI—Main Hawaiian Islands; 

OR—Oregon; WA—Washington; 1Fishery classified based on mortalities and serious injuries of this stock, which are greater than or equal to 50 percent (Category I) or greater than 1 percent and 

less than 50 percent (Category II) of the stock’s PBR; 2Fishery classified by analogy; 

* Fishery has an associated high seas component listed in table 3; and 

∧The list of marine mammal species and/or stocks killed or injured in this fishery is identical to the list of species and/or stocks killed or injured in high seas component of the fishery, minus species and/or stocks that have geographic ranges exclusively on the high seas. The species and/or stocks are found, and the fishery remains the same, on both sides of the EEZ boundary. Therefore, the EEZ components of these fisheries pose the same risk to marine mammals as the components 

operating on the high seas. 

TABLE 2—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND CARIBBEAN

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Category I 

Gillnet Fisheries: 

Mid-Atlantic gillnet .......................................................................... 4,020 ........................... Bottlenose dolphin, Northern Migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Common dolphin, WNA. 

Gray seal, WNA. 

Harbor porpoise, GME/BF. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Harp seal, WNA. 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

Minke whale, Canadian east coast. 

Northeast sink gillnet ..................................................................... 4,924 ........................... Bottlenose dolphin, Northern Migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Common dolphin, WNA. 

Fin whale, WNA. 

Gray seal, WNA.1

Harbor porpoise, GME/BF. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Harp seal, WNA. 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

Minke whale, Canadian east coast. 

North Atlantic right whale, WNA. 

Risso’s dolphin, WNA. 

White-sided dolphin, WNA. 

Trap/Pot Fisheries: 

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic American lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot 8,485 ........................... Harbor porpoise, GME/BF. 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

Minke whale, Canadian east coast. 

North Atlantic right whale, WNA.1

Longline Fisheries: 

Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico large pelagics 

longline *.

201 .............................. Atlantic spotted dolphin, Northern GMX. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX oceanic. 

Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Common dolphin, WNA. 

Cuvier’s beaked whale, WNA. 

Kogia spp. (Pygmy or dwarf sperm whale), WNA. 

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

Mesoplodon beaked whale, WNA. 

Pantropical spotted dolphin, Northern GMX. 

Risso’s dolphin, WNA. 

Rough-toothed dolphin, Northern GMX. 

Short-finned pilot whale, Northern GMX. 

Short-finned pilot whale, WNA.1

Category II 

Gillnet Fisheries: 

Chesapeake Bay inshore gillnet 2 .................................................. 265 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, unknown (Northern migratory coastal or Southern migratory coastal). 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine.1


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
77804 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE 2—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND CARIBBEAN— 

Continued 

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Minke whale, Canadian East Coast. 

Gulf of Mexico gillnet 2 ................................................................... 248 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, and estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mobile Bay, Bonsecour Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, MS Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay Boudreau. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal. 

NC inshore gillnet .......................................................................... 1,157 ........................... Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern NC estuarine system.1

Northeast drift gillnet 2 .................................................................... 1,036 ........................... None documented. 

Southeast Atlantic gillnet 2 ............................................................. 273 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, Central FL coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern FL coastal. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic shark gillnet ........................................ 21 ................................ Bottlenose dolphin, unknown (Central FL, Northern FL, SC/GA 

coastal, or Southern migratory coastal). 

North Atlantic right whale, WNA. 

Trawl Fisheries: 

Mid-Atlantic mid-water trawl (including pair trawl) ......................... 320 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

White-sided dolphin, WNA. 

Mid-Atlantic bottom trawl ............................................................... 633 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore.1

Common dolphin, WNA.1

Globicephala spp. (long-finned or short-finned pilot whale), WNA. 

Gray seal, WNA.1

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Risso’s dolphin, WNA.1

White-sided dolphin, WNA. 

Northeast mid-water trawl (including pair trawl) ............................ 542 .............................. Common dolphin, WNA. 

Gray seal, WNA. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

White-sided dolphin, WNA. 

Northeast bottom trawl ................................................................... 968 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore.1

Common dolphin, WNA.1

Gray seal, WNA.1

Harbor porpoise, GME/BF. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Harp seal, WNA. 

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA.1

Risso’s dolphin, WNA. 

White-sided dolphin, WNA.1

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl .............. 10,824 ......................... Atlantic spotted dolphin, Northern Gulf of Mexico. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Barataria Bay Estuarine System. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, estuarine.1

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX continental shelf. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mississippi River Delta. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mobile Bay, Bonsecour Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GA/Southern SC estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Pensacola Bay, East Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Perdido Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, SC/GA coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal.1

Virginia shrimp trawl ...................................................................... 12 ................................ None documented. 

Trap/Pot Fisheries: 

MA mixed species trap/pot ............................................................ 1,240 ........................... Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine.1

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico stone crab trap/pot 2 1,101 ........................... Bottlenose dolphin, Biscayne Bay estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Central FL coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, FL Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, estuarine (FL west coast portion). 

Bottlenose dolphin, Indian River Lagoon estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Jacksonville estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay. 

Atlantic mixed species trap/pot 2 .................................................... 3,493 ........................... Fin whale, WNA. 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

Atlantic blue crab trap/pot .............................................................. 6,679 ........................... Bottlenose dolphin, Biscayne Bay estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Central FL coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Central GA estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Charleston estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Indian River Lagoon estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Jacksonville estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern FL coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GA/Southern SC estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern Migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern SC estuarine system. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 77805 

TABLE 2—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND CARIBBEAN— 

Continued 

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Bottlenose dolphin, SC/GA coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern GA estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern NC estuarine system. 

West Indian manatee, FL. 

Purse Seine Fisheries: 

Gulf of Mexico menhaden purse seine .......................................... 40–42 .......................... Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mississippi River Delta. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay Boudreau. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal.1

Mid-Atlantic menhaden purse seine 2 ............................................ 17 ................................ Bottlenose dolphin, Northern Migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal. 

Haul/Beach Seine Fisheries: 

Mid-Atlantic haul/beach seine ........................................................ 359 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern Migratory coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal.1

NC long haul seine ........................................................................ 10 ................................ Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern NC estuarine system. 

Stop Seine/Weir/Pound Net: 

U.S. Mid-Atlantic mixed species stop seine/weir/pound net (except the NC roe mullet stop net).unknown ..................... Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system. 

Stop Net Fisheries: 

NC roe mullet stop net ................................................................... 1 .................................. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, unknown (Southern migratory coastal or Southern NC estuarine system). 

Pound Net Fisheries: 

VA pound net ................................................................................. 20 ................................ Bottlenose dolphin, Northern migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal.1

Marine Aquaculture Fisheries: 

Aquaculture rafts 2 .......................................................................... <15 ............................. None documented. 

Bottom culture (trays/cages) with buoys 2 ..................................... Unknown ..................... None documented. 

Longline aquaculture 2 ................................................................... Unknown ..................... None documented. 

Category III 

Gillnet Fisheries: 

Caribbean gillnet ............................................................................ 127 .............................. None documented in the most recent 5 years of data. 

DE River inshore gillnet ................................................................. unknown ..................... None documented in the most recent 5 years of data. 

Long Island Sound inshore gillnet ................................................. unknown ..................... None documented in the most recent 5 years of data. 

RI, southern MA (to Monomoy Island), and NY Bight (Raritan 

and Lower NY Bays) inshore gillnet.

unknown ..................... None documented in the most recent 5 years of data. 

Southeast Atlantic inshore gillnet .................................................. unknown ..................... Bottlenose dolphin, Northern SC estuarine system. 

Trawl Fisheries: 

Atlantic shellfish bottom trawl ........................................................ >58 ............................. None documented. 

Gulf of Mexico butterfish trawl ....................................................... 2 .................................. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX oceanic. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX continental shelf. 

Gulf of Mexico mixed species trawl ............................................... 20 ................................ None documented. 

GA cannonball jellyfish trawl .......................................................... 1 .................................. Bottlenose dolphin, SC/GA coastal. 

Marine Aquaculture Fisheries: 

Net pen aquaculture ...................................................................... ∼25 .............................. Harbor seal, WNA. 

On-bottom/off-bottom culture (trays/cages) without buoys ............ Unknown ..................... None documented. 

Shellfish aquaculture ...................................................................... Unknown ..................... None documented. 

Purse Seine Fisheries: 

Gulf of Maine Atlantic herring purse seine .................................... >7 ............................... Harbor seal, WNA. 

Gulf of Maine menhaden purse seine ........................................... >2 ............................... None documented. 

FL West Coast sardine purse seine .............................................. 10 ................................ None documented. 

Longline/Hook and Line Fisheries: 

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic bottom longline/hook-and-line ................... >1,207 ........................ None documented. 

Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic tuna, shark, swordfish hook-andline/harpoon.2,846 ........................... Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean snapper-grouper and other reef fish bottom longline/hook-and-line.>5,000 ........................ Bottlenose dolphin, GMX continental shelf. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico shark bottom longline/ 

hook-and-line.

39 ................................ Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX continental shelf. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean pelagic hook-and-line/harpoon.680 .............................. None documented. 

U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico trotline .............................................. unknown ..................... Bottlenose dolphin, Galveston Bay, East Bay, Trinity Bay. 

Trap/Pot Fisheries: 

Caribbean mixed species trap/pot ................................................. 154 .............................. Bottlenose dolphin, Puerto Rico and United States Virgin Islands. 

Caribbean spiny lobster trap/pot .................................................... 40 ................................ None documented. 

FL spiny lobster trap/pot ................................................................ 1,268 ........................... Bottlenose dolphin, Biscayne Bay estuarine. Bottlenose dolphin, 

Central FL coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, FL Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, FL Keys. 

Gulf of Mexico blue crab trap/pot .................................................. 4,113 ........................... Bottlenose dolphin, Barataria Bay. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
77806 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE 2—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND CARIBBEAN— 

Continued 

Fishery description Estimated number of 

vessels/persons Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Bottlenose dolphin, Caloosahatchee River. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay Boudreau. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mobile Bay, Bonsecour Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Waccasassa Bay, Withlacoochee Bay, Crystal 

Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal. 

West Indian manatee, FL. 

Gulf of Mexico mixed species trap/pot .......................................... unknown ..................... None documented. 

MA green crab pot ......................................................................... 78 ................................ None documented. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico golden crab trap/pot 10 ................................ None documented. 

U.S. Mid-Atlantic eel trap/pot ......................................................... unknown ..................... None documented. 

Stop Seine/Weir/Pound Net/Floating Trap/Fyke Net Fisheries: 

Gulf of Maine herring and Atlantic mackerel stop seine/weir ........ >1 ............................... Harbor porpoise, GME/BF. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Minke whale, Canadian east coast. 

Atlantic white-sided dolphin, WNA. 

U.S. Mid-Atlantic crab stop seine/weir ........................................... 2,600 ........................... None documented. 

RI floating trap ............................................................................... 9 .................................. None documented. 

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic fyke net .............................................. unknown ..................... None documented. 

Dredge Fisheries: 

Gulf of Maine sea urchin dredge ................................................... unknown ..................... None documented. 

Gulf of Maine mussel dredge ........................................................ unknown ..................... None documented.

Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic sea scallop dredge .................... >403 ........................... None documented. 

Mid-Atlantic blue crab dredge ........................................................ unknown ..................... None documented. 

Mid-Atlantic soft-shell clam dredge ................................................ unknown ..................... None documented.

Mid-Atlantic whelk dredge .............................................................. unknown ..................... None documented. 

U.S. Mid-Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico oyster dredge ............................ 7,000 ........................... None documented. 

New England and Mid-Atlantic offshore surf clam/quahog dredge unknown ..................... None documented. 

Haul/Beach Seine Fisheries: 

Caribbean haul/beach seine .......................................................... 38 ................................ West Indian manatee, Puerto Rico. 

Gulf of Mexico haul/beach seine ................................................... unknown ..................... None documented. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic haul/beach seine ................................ 25 ................................ None documented. 

Dive, Hand/Mechanical Collection Fisheries: 

Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean shellfish dive, hand/ 

mechanical collection.

20,000 ......................... None documented. 

Gulf of Maine urchin dive, hand/mechanical collection ................. unknown ..................... None documented. 

Gulf of Mexico, Southeast Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, and Caribbean 

cast net.

unknown ..................... None documented. 

Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (Charter Boat) Fisheries: 

Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean commercial passenger fishing vessel.4,000 ........................... Bottlenose dolphin, Barataria Bay estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Biscayne Bay estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Central FL coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Charleston estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Choctawhatchee Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, FL Bay. 

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Indian River Lagoon estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Jacksonville estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay Boudreau. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern FL coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GA/Southern SC estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern NC estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, SC/GA coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal. 

List of Abbreviations and Symbols Used in table 2: 

DE—Delaware; FL—Florida; GA—Georgia; GME/BF—Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy; GMX—Gulf of Mexico; MA—Massachusetts; NC—North Carolina; NY—New 

York; RI—Rhode Island; SC—South Carolina; VA—Virginia; WNA—Western North Atlantic; 1Fishery classified based on mortalities and serious injuries of this stock, which are greater than or equal to 50 percent (Category I) or greater than 1 percent and 

less than 50 percent (Category II) of the stock’s PBR; 2Fishery classified by analogy; and 

* Fishery has an associated high seas component listed in table 3. 

TABLE 3—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES ON THE HIGH SEAS

Fishery description Number of 

HSFCA permits Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Category I 

Longline Fisheries: 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 77807 

TABLE 3—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES ON THE HIGH SEAS—Continued 

Fishery description Number of 

HSFCA permits Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species * .................................................... 35 Atlantic spotted dolphin, WNA. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX oceanic. 

Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Common dolphin, WNA. 

Cuvier’s beaked whale, WNA. 

False killer whale, WNA. 

Killer whale, GMX oceanic. 

Kogia spp. whale (Pygmy or dwarf sperm whale), WNA. 

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

Mesoplodon beaked whale, WNA. 

Minke whale, Canadian East coast. 

Pantropical spotted dolphin, WNA. 

Risso’s dolphin, GMX. 

Risso’s dolphin, WNA. 

Short-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

Western Pacific Pelagic (HI Deep-set component) * ∧ ....................... 146 Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. 

False killer whale, HI Pelagic. 

Kogia spp. (Pygmy or dwarf sperm whale), HI. 

Risso’s dolphin, HI. 

Rough-toothed dolphin, HI. 

Short-finned pilot whale, HI. 

Category II 

Drift Gillnet Fisheries: 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species * ∧ ................................................... 2 Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

Humpback whale, Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. 

Northern right-whale dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Risso’s dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Short-beaked common dolphin, CA/OR/WA. 

Trawl Fisheries: 

CCAMLR ............................................................................................ 0 Antarctic fur seal. 

Purse Seine Fisheries: 

Western and Central Pacific Ocean Tuna Purse Seine .................... 14 Bottlenose dolphin, unknown. 

Blue whale, unknown. 

Bryde’s whale, unknown. 

False killer whale, unknown. 

Fin whale, unknown. 

Indo-Pacific dolphin. 

Long-beaked common dolphin, unknown. 

Melon-headed whale, unknown. 

Minke whale, unknown. 

Pantropical spotted dolphin, unknown. 

Risso’s dolphin, unknown. 

Rough-toothed dolphin, unknown. 

Sei whale, unknown. 

Short-finned pilot whale, unknown. 

Sperm whale, unknown. 

Spinner dolphin, unknown. 

Western Pacific Pelagic ..................................................................... 0 No information. 

Longline Fisheries: 

CCAMLR ............................................................................................ 0 None documented. 

South Pacific Albacore Troll ............................................................... 5 No information. 

Western Pacific Pelagic (HI Shallow-set component) * ∧ ................... 17 Beaked whale, unknown. 

Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. 

False killer whale, HI Pelagic. 

Guadalupe fur seal. 

Risso’s dolphin, HI. 

Striped dolphin, HI. 

Handline/Pole and Line Fisheries: 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species ...................................................... 0 No information. 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species ........................................................ 39 No information. 

South Pacific Albacore Troll ............................................................... 2 No information. 

Western Pacific Pelagic ..................................................................... 1 No information. 

Troll Fisheries: 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species ...................................................... 0 No information. 

South Pacific Albacore Troll ............................................................... 24 No information. 

Western Pacific Pelagic ..................................................................... 6 No information. 

Category III 

Longline Fisheries: 

Northwest Atlantic Bottom Longline ................................................... 0 None documented. 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species ........................................................ 104 None documented in the most recent 5 years of data. 

Purse Seine Fisheries: 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species * ∧ ................................................... 1 None documented. 

Trawl Fisheries: 

Northwest Atlantic .............................................................................. 0 None documented. 

Troll Fisheries: 


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77808 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE 3—LIST OF FISHERIES—COMMERCIAL FISHERIES ON THE HIGH SEAS—Continued 

Fishery description Number of 

HSFCA permits Marine mammal species and/or stocks incidentally killed or injured 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species * ...................................................... 98 None documented. 

List of Terms, Abbreviations, and Symbols Used in table 3: 

CA—California; GMX—Gulf of Mexico; HI—Hawaii; OR—Oregon; WA—Washington; WNA—Western North Atlantic; 

* Fishery is an extension/component of an existing fishery operating within U.S. waters listed in table 1 or 2. The number of permits listed in table 3 represents only 

the number of permits for the high seas component of the fishery; and 

∧ 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. Therefore, the high seas components of these 

fisheries pose the same risk to marine mammals as the components of these fisheries operating in U.S. waters. 

TABLE 4—FISHERIES AFFECTED BY TAKE REDUCTION TEAMS AND PLANS

Take reduction plans Affected fisheries 

Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP)—50 CFR 229.32 Category I. 

Mid-Atlantic gillnet. 

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic American lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot. 

Northeast sink gillnet. 

Category II. 

Atlantic blue crab trap/pot. 

Atlantic mixed species trap/pot. 

MA mixed species trap/pot. 

Northeast drift gillnet. 

Southeast Atlantic gillnet. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic shark gillnet.* 

Southeastern, U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico stone crab trap/pot.∧

Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (BDTRP)—50 CFR 229.35 .... Category I. 

Mid-Atlantic gillnet. 

Category II. 

Atlantic blue crab trap/pot. 

Chesapeake Bay inshore gillnet fishery. 

Mid-Atlantic haul/beach seine. 

Mid-Atlantic menhaden purse seine. 

NC inshore gillnet. 

NC long haul seine. 

NC roe mullet stop net. 

Southeast Atlantic gillnet. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic shark gillnet. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl.∧

Southeastern, U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico stone crab trap/pot.∧

U.S. Mid-Atlantic mixed species stop seine/weir/pound net (except 

the NC roe mullet stop net). 

VA pound net. 

False Killer Whale Take Reduction Plan (FKWTRP)—50 CFR 229.37 .. Category I. 

HI deep-set longline. 

Category II. 

HI shallow-set longline. 

Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan (HPTRP)—50 CFR 229.33 (New 

England) and 229.34 (Mid-Atlantic).

Category I. 

Mid-Atlantic gillnet. 

Northeast sink gillnet. 

Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan (PLTRP)—50 CFR 229.36 ......... Category I. 

Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico large pelagics longline. 

Pacific Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan (POCTRP)—50 CFR 

229.31.

Category II. 

CA thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet (≥14 in mesh). 

Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Team (ATGTRT) ............................ Category II. 

Mid-Atlantic bottom trawl. 

Mid-Atlantic mid-water trawl (including pair trawl). 

Northeast bottom trawl Northeast mid-water trawl (including pair 

trawl). 

List of Symbols Used in table 4: 

* Only applicable to the portion of the fishery operating in U.S. waters; and 

∧Only applicable to the portion of the fishery operating in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Classification 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

The Chief Counsel for Regulation of 

the Department of Commerce certified 

to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 

Small Business Administration (SBA) 

that this proposed rule would not have 

a significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. As 

a result of this certification, an initial 

regulatory flexibility analysis is not 

required and none has been prepared. 

The certification is based on the 

following analysis. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 77809 

Any entity with combined annual 

fishery landing receipts less than $11 

million is considered a small entity for 

purposes of the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act. Under the size standard, all entities 

subject to this action were considered 

small entities; thus, they all would 

continue to be considered small under 

the new standards. 

Under existing regulations, all 

individuals participating in Category I 

or II fisheries must register under the 

MMPA and obtain an authorization 

certificate. The authorization certificate 

authorizes the taking of marine 

mammals incidental to commercial 

fishing operations under the MMPA. 

Additionally, individuals may be 

subject to a TRP and requested to carry 

an observer. NMFS has estimated that 

up to approximately 53,590 fishing 

vessels, most with annual revenues 

below the SBA’s small entity thresholds, 

may operate in Category I or II fisheries. 

As fishing vessels operating in Category 

I or II fisheries, they are required to 

register with NMFS. The MMPA 

registration process is integrated with 

existing State and Federal licensing, 

permitting, and registration programs. 

Therefore, individuals who have a State 

or Federal fishing permit or landing 

license or who are authorized through 

another related State or Federal fishery 

registration program are currently not 

required to register separately under the 

MMPA or pay the $25 registration fee. 

Through this integrated process, 

registration under the MMPA, including 

the $25 registration fee, is only required 

for vessels participating in a Category I 

or II non-permitted fishery. All Category 

I and II fisheries listed on the 2025 

proposed LOF are permitted through 

State or Federal processes, and 

registration under the MMPA is covered 

through the integrated process. 

Therefore, this proposed rule would not 

impose any direct costs on small 

entities. 

The MMPA requires any vessel owner 

or operator to report to NMFS, within 48 

hours of the end of the fishing trip, all 

marine mammal incidental mortalities 

and injuries that occur during 

commercial fishing operations. These 

marine mammal mortalities and injuries 

are reported using a postage-paid, Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) 

approved form (OMB Control Number 

0648–0292). This postage-paid form 

requires less than 15 minutes to 

complete and can be dropped in any 

mailbox, faxed, emailed, or completed 

online within 48 hours of the vessel’s 

return to port. Therefore, recordkeeping 

and reporting costs associated with this 

LOF are minimal and would not have a 

significant impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. 

If a vessel is requested to carry an 

observer, vessels will not incur any 

direct economic costs associated with 

carrying that observer. In the event that 

reclassification of a fishery to Category 

I or II results in a TRP, economic 

analyses of the effects of that TRP would 

be summarized in subsequent 

rulemaking actions. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This proposed rule contains existing 

collection-of-information (COI) 

requirements subject to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act but would not impose 

additional or new COI requirements. 

The COI for the registration of 

individuals under the MMPA has been 

approved by the OMB under OMB 

Control Number 0648–0293 (0.15 hours 

per report for new registrants). The 

requirement for reporting marine 

mammal mortalities or injuries has been 

approved by OMB under OMB Control 

Number 0648–0292 (0.15 hours per 

report). These estimates include the 

time for reviewing instructions, 

searching existing data sources, 

gathering and maintaining the data 

needed, and completing and reviewing 

the COI. Send comments regarding these 

reporting burden estimates or any other 

aspect of the COI, including suggestions 

for reducing burden, to NMFS (see 

ADDRESSES). You may also submit 

comments on these or any other aspects 

of the collection of information at 

https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain. 

Notwithstanding any other provision 

of law, no person is required to respond 

to nor shall a person be subject to a 

penalty for failure to comply with a COI, 

subject to the requirements of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that 

COI displays a currently valid OMB 

control number. 

E.O. 12866 

This proposed rule has been 

determined to be not significant for the 

purposes of Executive Orders 12866 and 

13563. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

In accordance with the Companion 

Manual for NOAA Administrative Order 

(NAO) 216–6A, NMFS determined that 

the publishing this proposed LOF 

qualifies to be categorically excluded 

from further National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) review, consistent 

with categories of activities identified in 

Categorical Exclusion G7 (‘‘Preparation 

of policy directives, rules, regulations, 

and guidelines of an administrative, 

financial, 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. If NMFS takes 

additional management action (for 

example, through the development of a 

TRP), NMFS would first prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement or 

Environmental Assessment, as required 

under NEPA, specific to that action. 

This proposed rule would not affect 

species listed as threatened or 

endangered under the ESA or their 

associated critical habitat. The impacts 

of numerous fisheries have been 

analyzed in various biological opinions, 

and this rulemaking will not affect the 

conclusions of those opinions. The 

classification of fisheries on the LOF is 

not considered to be a management 

action that would adversely affect 

threatened or endangered species. If 

NMFS takes a management action, for 

example, through the development of a 

TRP, NMFS would consult under ESA 

section 7 on that action. 

This proposed rule would have no 

adverse impacts on marine mammals 

and may have a positive impact on 

marine mammals by improving 

knowledge of marine mammals and the 

fisheries interacting with marine 

mammals through information collected 

from observer programs, stranding and 

sighting data, or TRT. 

This proposed rule would not affect 

the land or water uses or natural 

resources of the coastal zone, as 

specified under section 307 of the 

Coastal Zone Management Act. 

References 

Bath, G.E., C.A. Price, K.E. Riley and J.A. 

Morris Jr. 2023 A Global Review of 

Protected Species Interactions with 

Marine Aquaculture. Review in 

Aquaculture 2023; 1–34. 

Carretta, J.W., E.M. Oleson, K.A. Forney, 

M.M. Muto, D.W. Weller, A.R. Lang, J. 

Baker, B. Hanson, A.J. Orr, J. Barlow, J.E. 

Moore, and R.L. Brownell. 2023. U.S. 

Pacific Marine Mammal Stock 

Assessments: 2022. U.S. Department of 

Commerce. NOAA Technical 

Memorandum NMFS–SWFSC–684. 409 

p. 

Carretta, J.W., J. Greenman, K. Wilkinson, L. 

Saez, D. Lawson and J. Viezbicke. 2023a. 

Sources of Human-Related Injury and 

Mortality for U.S. Pacific West coast 

Marine Mammal Stock Assessments, 

2017–2021. U.S. Department of 

Commerce. NOAA Technical 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
77810 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

Memorandum NMFS–SWFSC–690. 225 

p. 

Freed, J.C., N.C. Young, A.A. Bower, B.J. 

Delean, M.M. Muto, K.L. Raum-Suryan, 

K.M. Savage, S.S. Teerlink, L.A. Jemison, 

K.M. Wilkinson, J.E. Jannot and K.A. 

Somers. 2023. Human-Caused Mortality 

and Injury of NMFS-Managed Alaska 

Marine Mammal Stocks, 2017–2021. 

AFSC Processed Report 2023–05. 

Garrison, L.P and L.W. Stokes. 2023. 

Estimated Bycatch of Marine Mammals 

and Sea Turtles in the U.S. Atlantic 

Pelagic Longline Fleet During 2021. 

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS– 

SEFSC–765. 65 p. 

Hayes, S.A., E. Josephson, K. Maze-Foley, 

P.E. Rosel and J. Wallace. Editors. In 

press. Draft U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of 

Mexico Marine Mammal Stock 

Assessments 2023. U.S. Department of 

Commerce. NOAA Technical 

Memorandum. 

Henry, A., M. Garron, D. Morin, A. Smith, A. 

Reid, W. Ledwell and T. Cole. 2022. 

Serious Injury and Mortality 

Determinations for Baleen Whale Stocks 

along the Gulf of Mexico, United States 

East Coast, and Atlantic Canadian 

Provinces, 2017–2021. U.S. Department 

of Commerce, Northeast Fisheries 

Science Center Reference Doc. 23–09; 59 

p. 

Josephson E. and M. Lyssikatos. 2023. 

Serious Injury Determinations for Small 

Cetaceans and Pinnipeds Caught in 

Commercial Fisheries off the Northeast 

U.S. Coast, 2017–2021. U.S. Department 

of Commerce, Northeast Fisheries 

Science Center Reference Doc. 23–11; 35 

p. 

McCracken, M. and B. Cooper. 2022. 

Assessment of Incidental Interactions 

with Marine Mammals in the Hawaii 

Longline Deep and Shallow-set Fisheries 

from 2017 through 2021. Pacific Islands 

Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Data 

Report, DR–22–032. 

NMFS. 2023. Process for Distinguishing 

Serious from Non-Serious Injury of 

Marine Mammals. National Marine 

Fisheries Service Procedure 02–238–01. 

55 p. 

Young, N.C., Brower, A.A., Muto, M.M., 

Freed, J.C., Angliss, R.P., Friday, B.D. 

Birkemeier, N.A., Boveng, P.L., Brost, 

B.M., Cameron, M.F., Crance, J.L., Dahle, 

S.P., Fadely, B.S., Ferguson, M.C., Goetz, 

K.T., London, Oleson, E.M., J.M., Ream, 

R.R., Richmond, E.L., Shelden, K.E.W., 

Sweeney, K.L., Towell, R.G., Wade, P.R., 

Waite, J.M., and Zerbini, A.N. In Press. 

Draft Alaska marine mammal stock 

assessments, 2023. U.S. Department of 

Commerce. 

Young, N.C, M.M. Muto, V.T. Helker, B.J. 

Delean, N.C. Young, J.C. Freed R.P. 

Angliss, N.A. Friday, P.L. Boveng, J.M. 

Breiwick, B.M. Brost, M.F. Cameron, P.J. 

Clapham, J.L. Crance, S.P. Dahle, M.E. 

Dahlheim, B.S. Fadely, M.C. Ferguson, 

L.W. Fritz, K.T. Goetz, R.C. Hobbs, Y.V. 

Ivashchenko, A.S. Kennedy, J.M. 

London, S.A. Mizroch, R.R. Ream, E.L. 

Richmond, K.E.W. Shelden, K.L. 

Sweeney, R.G. Towell, P.R. Wade, J.M. 

Waite, and Alexandre N. Zerbini. 2023. 

Alaska Marine Mammal Stock 

Assessments 2022. U.S. Department of 

Commerce. NOAA Technical 

Memorandum NMFS–AFSC–474, 316 p. 

Dated: September 19, 2024. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21835 Filed 9–23–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1