47424 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

C. How can I get copies of this 

document and other related 

information? 

The docket for this action, identified 

by docket identification (ID) number 

EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0597, is available 

at http://www.regulations.gov or at the 

Office of Pollution Prevention and 

Toxics Docket (OPPT Docket), 

Environmental Protection Agency 

Docket Center (EPA/DC), West William 

Jefferson Clinton Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301 

Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, 

DC. The Public Reading Room is open 

from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, excluding legal 

holidays. The telephone number for the 

Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, 

and the telephone number for the OPPT 

Docket is (202) 566–0280. Please review 

the visitor instructions and additional 

information about the docket available 

at http://www.epa.gov/dockets. 

II. Background 

EPA is giving notice that the Agency 

is cancelling the remaining scheduled 

meeting of the Negotiated Rulemaking 

Committee, and no further meetings are 

planned. The objective of this 

Committee was to negotiate toward 

consensus on proposed regulatory 

language limiting chemical data 

reporting requirements, under TSCA 

section 8(a), for manufacturers of any 

inorganic byproduct chemical 

substances when such byproduct 

chemical substances are subsequently 

recycled, reused, or reprocessed. This 

meeting is cancelled because the 

Committee determined that it was not 

able to reach consensus on regulatory 

approaches and has concluded its 

discussions. This Negotiated 

Rulemaking process was required by 

TSCA section 8(a)(6), as amended by the 

Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for 

the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg Act). 

This Committee was a statutory 

advisory committee under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 

2 § 9(a)(1). In accordance with section 

9(c) of the Federal Advisory Committee 

Act, 5 U.S.C. App. I § 9(c), EPA 

prepared a charter for the establishment 

of the Negotiated Rulemaking 

Committee. Copies of the Committee’s 

charter were filed with the appropriate 

congressional committees and the 

Library of Congress. The Committee met 

on June 8 and 9, 2017 (82 FR 25790) 

(FRL–9961–92); August 16 and 17, 2017 

(82 FR 25790); and September 13 and 

14, 2017 (82 FR 39402) (FRL–9965–96). 

The Committee’s charter and those 

meetings’ agendas and materials are 

available in the docket supporting this 

activity (EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0597) 

and online at https://www.epa.gov/ 

chemical-data-reporting/negotiatedrulemaking-committee-chemical-datareporting-requirements. 

The Committee, established on June 5, 

2017, had an objective to negotiate a 

proposed rule that would limit chemical 

data reporting requirements under 

section 8(a) of TSCA, as amended by the 

Lautenberg Act, for manufacturers of 

any inorganic byproduct chemical 

substances when such byproduct 

chemical substances are subsequently 

recycled, reused, or reprocessed. The 

purpose of the Committee was to 

conduct discussions in a good faith 

attempt to reach consensus on proposed 

regulatory language. This negotiation 

process was required by section 8(a)(6) 

of TSCA. 

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq. 

Dated: October 4, 2017. 

Nancy B. Beck, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of 

Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22113 Filed 10–11–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 229 

[Docket No. 170303230–7924–01] 

RIN 0648–BG72 

List of Fisheries for 2018 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its 

proposed List of Fisheries (LOF) for 

2018, as required by the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The 

LOF for 2018 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 upon the level 

of mortality and serious injury 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 

registration, observer coverage, and take 

reduction plan (TRP) requirements. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

November 13, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by NOAA– 

NMFS–2017–0031, by either of the 

following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. 

1. Go to www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017- 

0031, 

2. Click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields. 

3. Enter or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

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 www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

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

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: 

Kristy Long, Office of Protected 

Resources, 301–427–8402; Allison 

Rosner, Greater Atlantic Region, 978– 

281–9328; Jessica Powell, Southeast 

Region, 727–824–5312; Dan Lawson, 

West Coast Region, 562–980–3209; 

Suzie Teerlink, Alaska Region, 907– 

586–7240; Kevin Brindock, Pacific 

Islands Region, 808–725–5146. 

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 

mortality and serious injury 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 

registration, observer coverage, and take 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 47425 

reduction plan 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 mortality and serious 

injury for a particular stock. If the total 

annual mortality and serious injury of a 

marine mammal stock, across all 

fisheries, is less than or equal to 10 

percent of the PBR level of the stock, all 

fisheries interacting with the stock will 

be placed in Category III (unless those 

fisheries interact with other stock(s) for 

which total annual mortality and 

serious injury is greater than 10 percent 

of PBR). Otherwise, these fisheries are 

subject to the next tier (Tier 2) of 

analysis to determine their 

classification. 

Tier 2: Tier 2 considers fisheryspecific mortality and serious injury for 

a particular stock. 

Category I: Annual mortality and 

serious injury of a stock in a given 

fishery is greater than or equal to 50 

percent of the PBR level (i.e., frequent 

incidental mortality and serious injury 

of marine mammals). 

Category II: Annual mortality and 

serious injury of a stock in a given 

fishery is greater than 1 percent and less 

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

occasional incidental mortality and 

serious injury of marine mammals). 

Category III: Annual mortality and 

serious injury 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 

mortality and serious injury 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). 

Stocks driving a fishery’s classification 

are denoted with a superscript ‘‘1’’ in 

Tables 1 and 2. 

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 Category I or II 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 a Category II 

fishery: ‘‘In the absence of reliable 

information indicating the frequency of 

incidental mortality and serious injury 

of marine mammals by a commercial 

fishery, NMFS will determine whether 

the incidental mortality or serious 

injury is ‘‘frequent,’’ ‘‘occasional,’’ or 

‘‘remote’’ 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’’ (50 CFR 

229.2). 

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 later in the List of Species 

and/or Stocks Incidentally Killed or 

Injured in the Pacific Ocean and the 

Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and 

Caribbean sections. To determine which 

species or stocks are included as 

incidentally killed or injured in a 

fishery, NMFS annually reviews the 

information presented in the current 

SARs and injury determination reports. 

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 reviewed for the 2018 LOF 

generally summarizes data from 2010– 

2014. 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, but in an 

effort to be consistent with the most 

recent SARs and across the LOF, NMFS 

typically restricts the analysis to data 

within the five-year time period 

summarized in the current SAR. 

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 five-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 interaction that 

cannot be attributed to a specific 

fishery) species and stocks may be 

retained for longer than five years. For 

these fisheries, NMFS will review the 

other sources of information listed 

above and use its discretion to decide 


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47426 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

when it is appropriate to remove a 

species or stock. 

Where does NMFS obtain information 

on the level of observer coverage 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 

mortality and serious injury 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. For 

Atlantic fisheries, this information can 

be found in the LOF Fishery Fact 

Sheets. The SARs generally do not 

provide detailed information on 

observer coverage in Category III 

fisheries because, under the MMPA, 

Category III fisheries are generally not 

required to accommodate observers 

aboard vessels due to the remote 

likelihood of mortality and serious 

injury of marine mammals. Fishery 

information presented in the SARs’ 

appendices and other resources 

referenced during the tier analysis may 

include: 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. Copies of the SARs 

are available on the NMFS Office of 

Protected Resources Web site at: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/. 

Information on observer coverage levels 

in Category I, II, and III fisheries can be 

found in the fishery fact sheets on the 

NMFS Office of Protected Resources’ 

Web site: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/ 

interactions/fisheries/lof.html. 

Additional information on observer 

programs in commercial fisheries can be 

found on the NMFS National Observer 

Program’s Web site: http://

www.st.nmfs.gov/observer-home/. 

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 

(TRTs). 

Are high seas fisheries included on the 

LOF? 

Beginning with the 2009 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. As of 

2004, NMFS issues HSFCA permits only 

for high seas fisheries analyzed in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 

the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 

authorized high seas fisheries are broad 

in scope and encompass multiple 

specific fisheries identified by gear type. 

For the purposes of the LOF, the high 

seas fisheries are subdivided based on 

gear type (e.g., trawl, longline, purse 

seine, gillnet, troll, etc.) to provide more 

detail on composition of effort within 

these fisheries. 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 by a ‘‘*’’ 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 

that is 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. 

HSFCA permits are valid for five 

years, during which time Fishery 

Management Plans (FMPs) can change. 

Therefore, some vessels/participants 

may possess valid HSFCA permits 

without the ability to fish under the 

permit because it was issued for a gear 

type that is no longer authorized under 

the most current FMP. For this reason, 

the number of HSFCA permits 

displayed in Table 3 is likely higher 

than the actual U.S. fishing effort on the 

high seas. 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: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/permits/ 

highseas.html. 

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: 

When the fishery was added to the LOF; 

the basis for the fishery’s initial 

classification; classification changes to 

the fishery; changes to the list of species 

and/or stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the fishery; fishery gear and 

methods used; observer coverage levels; 

fishery management and regulation; and 

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’ Web site: 

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/ 

interactions/fisheries/lof.html, linked to 

the ‘‘List of Fisheries by Year’’ 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. 

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 

non-endangered and non-threatened 

marine mammals incidental to 

commercial fishing operations. 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 and receive my 

Marine Mammal Authorization 

Program (MMAP) authorization 

certificate? 

NMFS has integrated the MMPA 

registration process, implemented 

through the Marine Mammal 

Authorization Program (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. 


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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 West Coast Region, 

authorization certificates may be 

obtained from the Web site http://

www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

protected_species/marine_mammals/ 

fisheries_interactions.html. 

In the Alaska Region, authorization 

certificates may be obtained by visiting 

the Alaska Regional Office Web site 

https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/pr/ 

mmapregistration. 

In the Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS 

will issue vessel or gear owners an 

authorization certificate via U.S. mail 

automatically at the beginning of each 

calendar year. Certificates may also be 

obtained by visiting the Greater Atlantic 

Regional Office Web site http://

www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ 

mmap/. 

In the Southeast Region, NMFS will 

issue vessel or gear owners an 

authorization certificate via U.S. mail 

automatically at the beginning of each 

calendar year. Vessel or gear owners can 

receive additional authorization 

certificates by contacting the Southeast 

Regional Office at 727–209–5952 or by 

visiting the Southeast Regional Office 

Web site http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ 

protected_resources/marine_mammal_

authorization_program/ and following 

the instructions for printing the 

certificate. 

The authorization certificate, or a 

copy, must be on board the vessel while 

it is operating in a Category I or II 

fishery, or for non-vessel 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). 

How do I renew my registration under 

the MMAP? 

In Alaska regional and Greater 

Atlantic regional fisheries, registrations 

of vessel or gear owners are 

automatically renewed and participants 

should receive an authorization 

certificate by January 1 of each new 

year. Certificates can also be obtained 

from the region’s Web site. In Pacific 

Islands regional fisheries, vessel or gear 

owners receive an authorization 

certificate by January 1 for state fisheries 

and with their permit renewal for 

Federal fisheries. In West Coast regional 

fisheries, vessel or gear owners receive 

authorization either with each renewed 

state fishing license in Washington and 

Oregon, with their permit renewal for 

Federal fisheries, the timing of which 

varies based on target species, or via 

U.S. mail. Vessel or gear owners who 

participate in fisheries in these regions 

and have not received authorization 

certificates by January 1 or with 

renewed fishing licenses must contact 

the appropriate NMFS Regional Office 

(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

In Southeast regional fisheries, vessel or 

gear owners’ registrations are 

automatically renewed and participants 

will receive an authorization certificate 

via U.S. mail automatically at the 

beginning of each calendar year. 

Additional authorization certificates are 

available for printing on the Southeast 

Regional Office Web site http://

sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/protected_

resources/marine_mammal_

authorization_program/. 

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, II, or 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: http://

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/interactions/ 

mmap/#form or by contacting the 

appropriate regional office (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Forms 

may be submitted via any of the 

following means: (1) Online using the 

electronic form; (2) emailed as an 

attachment to nmfs.mireport@noaa.gov; 

(3) faxed to the NMFS Office of 

Protected Resources at 301–713–0376; 

or (4) mailed to the NMFS Office of 

Protected Resources (mailing address is 

provided on the postage-paid form that 

can be printed from the web address 

listed above). Reporting requirements 

and procedures can be 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. 

However, U.S. Atlantic Ocean, 

Caribbean, or Gulf of Mexico large 

pelagics longline vessels operating in 

special areas designated by the Pelagic 

Longline Take Reduction Plan 

implementing regulations (50 CFR 

229.36(d)) will not be exempted from 

observer requirements, regardless of 

their size. Observer requirements can be 

found in 50 CFR 229.7. 

Am I required to comply with any 

marine mammal TRP regulations? 

Table 4 provides a list of fisheries 

affected by TRPs and TRTs. TRP 

regulations can be found at 50 CFR 

229.30 through 229.37. A description of 

each TRT and copies of each TRP can 

be found at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ 

pr/interactions/trt/teams.html. 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: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/interactions/ 


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fisheries/lof.html, 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: Allison Rosner; 

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; 

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: Kevin Brindock. 

Sources of Information Reviewed for 

the 2018 LOF 

NMFS reviewed the marine mammal 

incidental mortality and serious injury 

information presented in the SARs for 

all fisheries to determine whether 

changes in fishery classification are 

warranted. The SARs are based on the 

best scientific information available at 

the time of preparation, including the 

level of mortality and serious injury 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 created 

by the MMPA to review the science that 

informs the SARs, and to advise NMFS 

on marine mammal population status, 

trends, and stock structure, 

uncertainties in the science, research 

needs, and other issues. 

NMFS also reviewed other sources of 

new information, including marine 

mammal stranding data, observer 

program data, fishermen self-reports, 

reports to the SRGs, conference papers, 

FMPs, and ESA documents. 

The LOF for 2018 was based on, 

among other things, stranding data; 

fishermen self-reports; and SARs, 

primarily the 2016 SARs, which are 

based on data from 2010–2014. The 

SARs referenced in this LOF include: 

2014 (80 FR 50599; August 20, 2015), 

2015 (81 FR 38676; June 14, 2016), 2016 

(82 FR 29039; June 27, 2017). The SARs 

are available at: http://

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/. 

Summary of Changes to the LOF for 

2018 

The following summarizes changes to 

the LOF for 2018, 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 re-classifies 

two fisheries in the LOF for 2018. 

Additionally, NMFS adds two fisheries 

to the LOF. NMFS makes 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 2018 are 

identical to those provided in the LOF 

for 2017 with the changes discussed 

below. State and regional abbreviations 

used in the following paragraphs 

include: AK (Alaska), BSAI (Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands), CA (California), 

DE (Delaware), FL (Florida), GOA (Gulf 

of Alaska), GMX (Gulf of Mexico), HI 

(Hawaii), MA (Massachusetts), ME 

(Maine), NC (North Carolina), NY (New 

York), OR (Oregon), RI (Rhode Island), 

SC (South Carolina), VA (Virginia), WA 

(Washington), and WNA (Western North 

Atlantic). 

Commercial Fisheries in the Pacific 

Ocean 

Classification of Fisheries 

NMFS proposes to reclassify the CA 

thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet 

(≥ 14 inch (in) mesh) fishery from 

Category I to Category II. The most 

recent mean annual take estimate for the 

CA/OR/WA stock of sperm whale by 

this fishery is 0.4 (Carretta, Moore, and 

Forney, 2017). This take estimate from 

the most recent five year period of 

available data (2011–2015) is 14 percent 

of the stock’s PBR (2.7) (Carretta et al., 

2015). The Tier II analysis is less than 

50 percent but more than 1 percent of 

the stock’s PBR; thus, we propose this 

fishery be reclassified as Category II. 

NMFS proposes to reclassify the 

Category III AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish 

longline fishery to Category II based on 

interactions with sperm whales. Given 

the uncertainty in stock structure and 

abundance of sperm whales in the North 

Pacific and the best available data on 

North Pacific sperm whale mortality 

and serious injury (M/SI) in the AK Gulf 

of Alaska sablefish longline fishery, 

NMFS is proposing to reclassify the 

fishery based on the statutory 

definitions of the categories as outlined 

in section 118 of the MMPA. Given the 

current mean estimated annual M/SI of 

sperm whales in this fishery, NMFS 

cannot conclude the definition for 

Category III, ‘‘a remote likelihood of or 

no known incidental mortality or 

serious injury of marine mammals’’ is 

appropriate at this time. Instead, the 

best available data (i.e., mean annual 

M/SI estimate of 2.2 for this stock) 

support classifying the fishery as 

Category II, defined as ‘‘occasional 

incidental mortality and serious injury 

of marine mammals.’’ 

Serious injuries to sperm whales in 

this fishery have been documented from 

1997 to 2014. The current (2016) SAR 

uses data from 2010–2014 to provide an 

estimated mean annual M/SI rate for 

sperm whales. During this 5-year 

window, the AK Gulf of Alaska 

sablefish longline fishery has five 

observed serious injury reports that 

have each been prorated to 0.75 

mortalities (NMFS, 2012). Dependent 

upon the availability of associated catch 

data used as a metric of effort, some of 

these observations were extrapolated to 

the portion of the fishery effort that was 

not observed. These extrapolations were 

not available to be incorporated into the 

SAR until 2016. 

There were two observed serious 

injuries in 2012, and both were used to 

extrapolate to the unobserved effort 

resulting in an estimated total mortality 

of 3.4 in 2012. There were two observed 

serious injuries in 2013, one was 

extrapolated and one was not, for an 

estimated mortality of 6.95 (6.2 + 0.75) 

in 2013. There was one observed serious 

injury in 2014, which was not 

extrapolated, for an estimated mortality 

of 0.75 for 2014. 

These values averaged over the 5-year 

data interval included in the 2016 SAR 

represent the reported mean estimated 

annual M/SI of 2.2 (CV = 0.63) of North 

Pacific sperm whales in the AK Gulf of 

Alaska sablefish longline fishery (Muto 

et al., 2017). This is an increased 

estimate from the previous (2015) SAR, 

which reported an estimated mean 

annual M/SI rate of 0.8 for the years 

2009–2013. The increase can be 

attributed to the addition of one 

observed serious injury in 2014 and 

newly available estimates from three 

previously unextrapolated interactions. 

The 2016 SAR for the North Pacific 

stock of sperm whale does not have a 

minimum abundance estimate (NMIN) or 

PBR for use in the LOF tier analysis. 

However, given the increase in 

estimated mean annual M/SI of sperm 

whales in the AK Gulf of Alaska 

sablefish longline fishery and in 

response to previous public comments 

(82 FR 3655; January 12, 2017 comment 

6; 81 FR 40870; June 23, 2016 comment 

4), NMFS has completed an assessment 

of this fishery using the best available 

data. 

Using the PBR formula and the stock’s 

recovery factor (FR) of 0.1, we can backcalculate the theoretical NMIN necessary 

for the AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish 

longline fishery to remain a Category III 


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fishery. The AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish 

longline fishery is the only commercial 

fishery with documented M/SI of North 

Pacific sperm whales from 2010–2014, 

so both the Tier 1 and Tier 2 analyses 

evaluate the same M/SI estimate. In the 

Tier 1 analysis, for the mean estimated 

annual M/SI for all commercial fisheries 

(2.2) to be less than or equal to ten 

percent of PBR, the NMIN would need to 

exceed 11,000 whales. NMFS considers 

it unlikely that the stock exceeds 11,000 

whales (see Rone et al., 2016 for portion 

of range estimate: N = 129 (CV = 0.44) 

in 2013 and N = 345 (CV = 0.43) in 

2015); and, therefore, we proceed to a 

Tier 2 analysis. In the Tier 2 analysis, 

for the mean estimated M/SI from the 

AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish longline 

fishery (2.2) to be less than or equal to 

one percent of PBR (the threshold for 

Category III fisheries), the NMIN would 

need to exceed 110,000. NMFS 

considers it unlikely that this sperm 

whale stock exceeds 110,000 whales 

and; therefore, concludes the M/SI 

estimate (2.2) would likely exceed 1 

percent of PBR if NMFS had sufficient 

abundance data to calculate PBR for this 

stock. Based on this result, combined 

with the statutory definitions of a 

Category II fishery under the MMPA, 

NMFS proposes to reclassify this fishery 

as Category II. 

Addition of Fisheries 

NMFS proposes to add the AK BSAI 

halibut longline fishery as a Category III 

fishery. This fishery is proposed for 

classification in Category III based on 

analogy to other halibut longline 

fisheries. 

NMFS proposes to add the AK Gulf of 

Alaska sablefish pot fishery as a 

Category III fishery. NMFS recently 

authorized this fishery for 2017 for 

sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) 

share holders. In this fishery, sablefish 

pots are set along a longline, a method 

previously authorized and implemented 

in Alaska in the BSAI. This fishery is 

proposed for classification in Category 

III by analogy to other sablefish pot 

fisheries in Alaska. 

Removal of Fisheries 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK miscellaneous finfish 

set gillnet fishery from the LOF as 

miscellaneous finfish are not the target 

of set gillnet fishing methods. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK miscellaneous finfish 

beach seine fishery from the LOF as 

miscellaneous finfish are not the target 

of beach seine fishing methods. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK miscellaneous finfish 

purse seine fishery from the LOF as 

miscellaneous finfish are not the target 

of purse seine fishing methods. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK octopus/squid purse 

seine fishery from the LOF as octopus 

and squid are not the target of purse 

seine fishing methods. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK BSAI rockfish longline 

fishery from the LOF as rockfish are not 

the target of longline fishing methods in 

this region. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK Gulf of Alaska rockfish 

longline fishery from the LOF as 

rockfish are not the target of longline 

fishing methods in this region. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK halibut longline/set line 

(state and Federal waters) fishery from 

the LOF as this fishery is covered by AK 

Gulf of Alaska halibut longline and AK 

BSAI halibut longline fisheries on the 

LOF. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK miscellaneous finfish 

otter/beam trawl fishery from the LOF 

as miscellaneous finfish are not the 

target of otter/beam trawl fishing 

methods. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK statewide miscellaneous 

finfish pot fishery from the LOF as 

miscellaneous finfish are not the target 

of pot fishing methods. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK snail pot fishery from 

the LOF as there are currently no 

participants. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK octopus/squid handline 

fishery from the LOF as octopus and 

squid are not the target of handline 

fishing methods. 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category III AK Abalone fishery from 

the LOF as there are currently no 

participants. 

Fishery Name and Organizational 

Changes and Clarification 

NMFS proposes to clarify that the 

Category II AK BSAI rockfish trawl 

fishery includes sablefish catches. As 

sablefish is not the target species in this 

area, sablefish will not be listed as a 

separate fishery but will be considered 

as incidental catch in the rockfish trawl 

fishery in this region. 

NMFS proposes to add a superscript 

‘‘1’’ to the CA/OR/WA stock of 

humpback whale to indicate it is driving 

the Category II classification of the CA 

spiny lobster fishery. In 2015, gear 

associated with this fishery entangled a 

humpback whale (Carretta, Muto et al., 

2017). 

NMFS proposes to rename the 

Category III AK salmon purse seine 

(excluding salmon purse seine fisheries 

listed elsewhere) fishery to AK salmon 

purse seine (Prince William Sound, 

Chignik, Alaska Peninsula) fishery. The 

proposed change is for clarity to directly 

indicate the areas included. 

NMFS proposes to clarify that the 

Category III AK Gulf of Alaska rockfish 

trawl fishery includes targeted fishing 

for sablefish, which is included in the 

rockfish Fisheries Management Plan. 

NMFS proposes to rename the 

Category III AK food/bait herring trawl 

fishery to AK Kodiak food/bait herring 

otter trawl fishery to clarify that this 

fishery only takes place in Kodiak and 

specifically uses otter trawl. 

NMFS proposes to rename the 

Category III AK shrimp otter trawl and 

beam trawl (statewide and Cook Inlet) 

fishery to AK shrimp otter trawl and 

beam trawl fishery. There is no need to 

specifically mention the Cook Inlet area 

because this fishery is statewide. 

NMFS proposes to rename the 

Category III AK State-managed waters of 

Cook Inlet, Kachemak Bay, Prince 

William Sound, Southeast AK 

groundfish trawl fishery to AK Statemanaged waters of Prince William 

Sound groundfish trawl fishery as the 

state banned trawling in the other areas 

currently specified. 

NMFS proposes to combine the 

Category III AK Aleutian Islands 

sablefish pot fishery in the LOF with the 

Category III AK Bering Sea sablefish pot 

fishery for consistency with other 

regional designations in the LOF. The 

proposed change would combine these 

fisheries as AK BSAI sablefish pot 

fishery. 

NMFS proposes to break the Category 

III AK miscellaneous finfish handline/ 

hand troll and mechanical jig fishery 

into several fisheries by gear and 

geography for improved fishery 

categorization of potential impacts to 

marine mammals. For gear types, NMFS 

proposes to recognize jig and troll 

techniques separately to distinguish 

between fishing methods that may have 

different degrees of marine mammal 

interactions. NMFS proposes separating 

these into two regions, BSAI and Gulf of 

Alaska to better understand potential 

regional threats to marine mammals. 

NMFS will continue to consider the 

same group of target species together for 

the revised classification because the 

included groundfish species are often 

targeted simultaneously or only retained 

secondary to another primary target 

species in this group. NMFS considers 

‘‘groundfish’’ to include, but not be 

limited to: Pacific cod, sablefish, ling 

cod, and various rockfish species. When 

reporting a marine mammal interaction, 

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identify their fishery by area, target 

species, and gear type. The new 

Category III fishery names are: (1) AK 

BSAI groundfish jig, (2) AK BSAI 

groundfish troll, (3) AK Gulf of Alaska 

groundfish jig, (4) AK Gulf of Alaska 

groundfish troll. 

NMFS proposes to rename the 

Category III AK North Pacific halibut 

handline/hand troll and mechanical jig 

fishery to AK halibut jig fishery for 

clarity and consistency. There is no 

directed troll or handline effort for 

halibut, but there is jig effort. 

NMFS proposes to rename the 

Category III AK urchin and other fish/ 

shellfish fishery to AK miscellaneous 

invertebrates hand pick fishery for 

clarity and consistency with the 

National Bycatch Report. This includes 

hand-picked fisheries for urchin, 

cucumbers, and bivalves. 

NMFS makes an administrative 

change to the Category III Alaska scallop 

dredge fishery to be renamed AK scallop 

dredge for consistency. 

Number of Vessels/Persons 

NMFS proposes to update the 

estimated number of vessels/persons in 

the Pacific Ocean (Table 1) as follows: 

Category Fishery 

Number of 

vessels/persons 

(2017 LOF) 

Number of 

vessels/persons 

(2018 LOF) 

I ...................... HI deep-set longline ............................................................................................................ 139 143 

II ..................... HI shallow-set longline ........................................................................................................ 20 22 

II ..................... American Samoa longline ................................................................................................... 20 18 

III .................... AK Gulf of Alaska crab pot ................................................................................................. 381 271 

III .................... AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod pot ....................................................................................... 128 116 

III .................... AK Southeast Alaska crab pot ............................................................................................ 41 375 

III .................... AK Southeast Alaska shrimp pot ........................................................................................ 269 210 

III .................... AK shrimp pot, except Southeast ....................................................................................... 236 141 

III .................... AK octopus/squid pot .......................................................................................................... 26 15 

III .................... AK herring spawn on kelp ................................................................................................... 339 266 

III .................... AK miscellaneous invertebrates handpick .......................................................................... 398 214 

III .................... American Samoa bottomfish handline ................................................................................ 24 17 

III .................... AK commercial passenger fishing vessel ........................................................................... 2,702 1,006 

List of Species and/or Stocks 

Incidentally Killed or Injured in the 

Pacific Ocean 

NMFS proposes to add the Central 

North Pacific stock of humpback whale 

to the list of stocks incidentally killed 

or injured in the Category I Hawaii 

deep-set longline fishery. A humpback 

was seriously injured in 2014 in this 

fishery. 

NMFS proposes to add the Hawaii 

stock of Kogia spp. (Pygmy or dwarf 

sperm whale) to the list of stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category I Hawaii deep-set longline 

fishery to keep parallel structure with 

Table 3. 

NMFS proposes to add the CA/OR/ 

WA stock of Dall’s porpoise to the list 

of stocks incidentally killed or injured 

in the Category I CA thresher shark/ 

swordfish drift gillnet (≥14 in mesh) 

fishery based on a 2014 observed 

entanglement (Carretta, Forney et al., 

2017). 

Commercial Fisheries in the Atlantic 

Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean 

Number of Vessels/Persons 

NMFS proposes updates to the 

estimated number of vessels/persons in 

the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and 

Caribbean (Table 2) as follows: 

Category Fishery 

Number of 

vessels/persons 

(2017 LOF) 

Number of 

vessels/persons 

(2018 LOF) 

I ...................... Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico large pelagics longline ................................... 420 280 

II ..................... Southeastern U.S. Atlantic shark gillnet ............................................................................. 30 23 

III .................... Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic tuna, shark, swordfish hook-and-line/harpoon ................ 428 3084 

III .................... Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico shark bottom longline/hook-and-line .............. <125 39 

III .................... Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean pelagic hook-and-line/harpoon.1,446 680 

List of Species and/or Stocks 

Incidentally Killed or Injured in the 

Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and 

Caribbean 

NMFS proposes to add the Northern 

Gulf of Mexico stock of rough-toothed 

dolphin to the list of stocks incidentally 

killed or injured in the Category I 

Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico large pelagics longline fishery. 

In 2014, two serious injuries of roughtoothed dolphins were observed in this 

fishery (Garrison and Stokes, 2017). The 

estimated annual combined mortality 

and serious injury, from 2010–2014, 

attributable to this fishery in the 

northern Gulf of Mexico was 0.8 (Hayes 

et al., 2017). Observer coverage from 

2010–2014 for this fishery was 9.7, 10.1, 

8.6, 14.1, and 12.3 percent, respectively. 

NMFS proposes to remove the WNA 

stock of white-sided dolphin from the 

stocks listed as incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category II Mid-Atlantic 

mid-water trawl fishery. The last 

documented take of white-sided 

dolphin in this fishery occurred in 2009 

(Waring et al., 2016). Since no 

additional takes have been documented 

since 2009, we propose to remove the 

stock. Observer coverage from 2010– 

2014 for this fishery was 25, 41, 21, 7, 

and 5 percent, respectively. 

NMFS proposes to add the WNA 

stock of white-sided dolphin to the list 

of stocks incidentally killed or injured 

in the Category II Mid-Atlantic bottom 

trawl fishery. White-sided dolphin takes 

were documented in this fishery prior to 

2008, but no takes were documented 

from 2008–2013 leading to the stock’s 

removal from the list in the 2016 LOF 

(81 FR 20550; April 8, 2016). In 2014, 

9.67 takes were estimated. The current 


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mean combined annual mortality rate 

for 2010–2014 is now 1.9 animals per 

year (Hayes et al., 2017). Potential 

biological removal for this species is 304 

(Hayes et al., 2017); therefore, the 

current annual mortality estimates 

(0.625 percent of PBR) will not drive the 

Category II classification of this fishery. 

Observer coverage from 2010–2014 for 

this fishery was 6, 8, 5, 6, and 8 percent, 

respectively. 

NMFS proposes to add the WNA 

offshore stock of bottlenose dolphin to 

the list of stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Category III Gulf of 

Maine, U.S., Mid-Atlantic tuna, shark, 

swordfish hook-and-line/harpoon 

fishery. A fisherman self-reported one 

bottlenose dolphin injury that was 

determined to be a serious injury in 

2010 (Waring et al., 2016). 

NMFS proposes to add three stocks to 

the list of stocks incidentally killed or 

injured in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of 

Mexico, Caribbean commercial 

passenger fishing vessel fishery. The 

three stocks are: (1) WNA stock of shortfinned pilot whale and (2) Barataria Bay 

estuarine system stock and (3) 

Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay 

Boudreau stock of bottlenose dolphins. 

In 2013, one short-finned pilot whale 

was self-reported by a charterboat 

fisherman (Hayes et al., 2017). The 

hooked and entangled animal was 

released alive; however, NMFS 

determined the injury to be serious 

(Maze-Foley and Garrison, 2016). 

In 2011, one dead and one injured 

Barataria Bay estuarine system stock of 

Bottlenose dolphins were documented 

in hook-and-line gear. In 2013, two 

injured dolphins from this stock were 

documented in hook and line gear 

(Waring et al., 2016). 

In 2011, three dead Mississippi 

Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay Boudreau 

stock of bottlenose dolphins were 

documented in hook-and-line gear. In 

2012 and 2013, one death was 

documented each year associated with 

hook and line gear (Waring et al., 2016). 

NMFS corrects three administrative 

errors in Table 2. Under stocks listed as 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico large pelagic longline fishery, 

NMFS updates to stock name for 

Atlantic spotted dolphin from ‘‘GMX 

continental and oceanic’’ to ‘‘Northern 

GMX’’. Second, in the Atlantic Ocean, 

Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean commercial 

passenger fishing vessel fishery, NMFS 

updates the stock name for bottlenose 

dolphin from ‘‘Southern SC/GA coastal’’ 

to ‘‘SC/GA coastal’’. Last, NMFS 

removes the WNA stock of Risso’s 

dolphin and white-sided dolphin from 

the stocks listed as incidentally injured 

or killed in the Category I Mid-Atlantic 

gillnet fishery. These stocks were 

removed in the 2016 LOF (80 FR 58427, 

September 29, 2015), but the change 

was not reflected on Table 2. 

Commercial Fisheries on the High Seas 

Removal of Fisheries 

NMFS proposes to remove the 

Category II Atlantic highly migratory 

species drift gillnet fishery from the 

LOF as there are currently no 

participants. 

Fishery Name and Organizational 

Changes and Clarification 

NMFS proposes to designate the list 

of stocks incidentally killed in injured 

in a fishery from ‘‘undetermined’’ to ‘‘no 

information’’ for clarity that no data are 

available for interactions in that fishery. 

Number of Vessels/Persons 

NMFS proposes updates to the 

estimated number of vessels/persons on 

the High Seas (Table 3) as follows: 

Category Fishery 

Number of 

vessels/persons 

(2017 LOF) 

Number of 

vessels/persons 

(2018 LOF) 

I ...................... Atlantic highly migratory species longline ........................................................................... 86 79 

I ...................... Western Pacific pelagic longline (HI deep-set component) ................................................ 139 143 

I ...................... Pacific highly migratory species drift gillnet ........................................................................ 5 4 

II ..................... Atlantic highly migratory species trawl ................................................................................ 1 2 

II ..................... South Pacific tuna purse seine ........................................................................................... 38 35 

II ..................... Western Pacific pelagic purse seine ................................................................................... 3 1 

II ..................... South Pacific albacore troll longline .................................................................................... 10 9 

II ..................... South Pacific tuna longline .................................................................................................. 2 4 

II ..................... Western Pacific pelagic longline (HI shallow-set component) ............................................ 20 22 

II ..................... Atlantic highly migratory species handline/pole and line .................................................... 3 2 

II ..................... Pacific highly migratory species handline/pole and line ..................................................... 46 42 

II ..................... South Pacific albacore troll handline/pole and line ............................................................. 7 11 

II ..................... Western Pacific pelagic handline/pole and line .................................................................. 2 5 

II ..................... Atlantic highly migratory species troll .................................................................................. 2 1 

II ..................... South Pacific albacore troll troll .......................................................................................... 30 22 

II ..................... Western Pacific pelagic troll ................................................................................................ 17 6 

III .................... Pacific highly migratory species longline ............................................................................ 114 105 

III .................... Pacific highly migratory species purse seine ...................................................................... 6 7 

III .................... Northwest Atlantic trawl ....................................................................................................... 1 2 

III .................... Pacific highly migratory species troll ................................................................................... 187 149 

List of Species and/or Stocks 

Incidentally Killed or Injured on the 

High Seas 

NMFS proposes to add the Hawaii 

stock of Kogia spp. (Pygmy or dwarf 

sperm whale) to the list of stocks 

incidentally killed or injured in the 

Category I Western Pacific Pelagic (HI 

deep-set component) longline fishery. In 

2014, one serious injury was observed 

in this fishery (Carretta, Forney et al., 

2017). 

NMFS proposes to add the Central 

North Pacific stock of humpback whale 

to the list of stocks incidentally killed 

or injured in the Category I Western 

Pacific Pelagic (HI deep-set component) 

longline fishery to keep parallel 

structure with Table 1. 

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, 


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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 extract 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 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). 

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 in this LOF, 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 that is 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., MMPA 

reports), and anecdotal reports. The best 

available scientific information 

included in these reports is based on 

data through 2012. This list includes all 

species and/or stocks known to be killed 

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., MMPA reports) may not be 

verified. In Tables 1 and 2, NMFS has 

designated those species/stocks driving 

a fishery’s classification (i.e., the fishery 

is classified based on mortalities and 

serious injuries of a marine mammal 

stock that are greater than or equal to 50 

percent (Category I), or greater than 1 

percent and less than 50 percent 

(Category II), of a stock’s PBR) by a ‘‘1’’ 

after the stock’s name. 

In Tables 1 and 2, there are several 

fisheries classified as Category II that 

have no recent documented mortalities 

or serious injuries of marine mammals, 

or fisheries that did not result in a 

mortality or serious injury 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 mortality or serious 

injury 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 a 

‘‘Category II fishery’’ 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 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 

between Table 1 or 2 and Table 3, are 

considered the same fisheries on either 

side of the EEZ boundary. NMFS has 

designated those fisheries in each table 

by a ‘‘*’’ after the fishery’s name. 

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 * ∧ ............................................................... 143 ................. Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. 

False killer whale, MHI Insular.1

False killer whale, HI Pelagic.1

False killer whale, NWHI. 

Humpback whale. Central North Pacific. 

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

Pygmy killer whale, HI. 

Risso’s dolphin, HI. 

Short-finned pilot whale, HI. 

Sperm whale, HI. 

Striped dolphin, HI. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
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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 

CATEGORY II 

GILLNET FISHERIES: 

CA thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet (≥14 in mesh) * ........... 18 ................... Bottlenose dolphin, CA/OR/WA offshore. 

California sea lion, U.S. 

Dall’s porpoise, CA/OR/WA. 

Humpback whale, 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. 

Sperm Whale, CA/OR/WA.1

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

mesh).

50 ................... California sea lion, U.S. 

Harbor seal, CA. 

Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA.1

Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

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.

30 ................... California sea lion, U.S. 

Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

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

AK Bristol Bay salmon drift gillnet 2 ............................................ 1,862 .............. Beluga whale, Bristol Bay. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, Bering Sea. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, North Pacific. 

Spotted seal, AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK PeninsulaBay salmon set gillnet 2 ........................................ 979 ................. Beluga whale, Bristol Bay. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, Bering Sea. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Spotted seal, AK. 

AK Kodiak salmon set gillnet ...................................................... 188 ................. Harbor porpoise, GOA.1

Harbor seal, GOA. 

Sea otter, Southwest AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Cook Inlet salmon set gillnet ................................................ 736 ................. Beluga whale, Cook Inlet. 

Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor porpoise, GOA. 

Harbor seal, GOA. 

Humpback whale, Central North Pacific.1

Sea otter, South central AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Cook Inlet salmon drift gillnet ............................................... 569 ................. 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.2 162 ................. Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor porpoise, GOA. 

Harbor seal, GOA. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

AK Peninsula/Aleutian Islands salmon set gillnet.2 113 ................. Harbor porpoise, Bering Sea. 

Northern sea otter, Southwest AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Prince William Sound salmon drift gillnet ............................. 537 ................. Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor porpoise, GOA.1

Harbor seal, GOA. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Pacific white-sided dolphin, North Pacific. 

Sea otter, South central AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S.1

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


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
47434 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / 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 

Harbor porpoise, Southeast AK. 

Harbor seal, Southeast AK. 

Humpback whale, Central North Pacific.1

Pacific white-sided dolphin, North Pacific. 

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

AK Yakutat salmon set gillnet 2 .................................................. 168 ................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor Porpoise, Southeastern AK. 

Harbor seal, Southeast AK. 

Humpback whale, Central North Pacific (Southeast AK). 

WA Puget Sound Region salmon drift gillnet (includes all inland waters south of U.S.-Canada border and eastward of 

the Bonilla-Tatoosh line-Treaty Indian fishing is excluded).

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

Harbor porpoise, inland WA.1

Harbor seal, WA inland. 

TRAWL FISHERIES: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands flatfish trawl ............................ 32 ................... Bearded seal, AK. 

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor porpoise, Bering Sea. 

Harbor seal, Bering Sea. 

Humpback whale, Western North Pacific.1

Killer whale, AK resident.1

Killer whale, GOA, AI, BS transient.1

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Ringed seal, AK. 

Ribbon seal, AK. 

Spotted seal, AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S.1

Walrus, AK. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands pollock trawl ........................... 102 ................. Bearded Seal, AK. 

Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Harbor seal, AK. 

Humpback whale, Central North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, Western North Pacific. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Ribbon seal, AK. 

Ringed seal, AK. 

Spotted seal, AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S.1

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands rockfish trawl .......................... 17 ................... Killer whale, ENP AK resident.1

Killer whale, GOA, AI, BS transient.1

POT, RING NET, AND TRAP FISHERIES: 

CA spiny lobster ......................................................................... 194 ................. Bottlenose dolphin, CA/OR/WA offshore. 

Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA.1

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

CA spot prawn pot ...................................................................... 25 ................... Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA.1

CA Dungeness crab pot ............................................................. 570 ................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA.1

OR Dungeness crab pot ............................................................. 433 ................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA.1

WA/OR/CA sablefish pot ............................................................ 309 ................. Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA.1

WA coastal Dungeness crab pot ................................................ 228 ................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA.1

LONGLINE/SET LINE FISHERIES: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod longline ................ 45 ................... Dall’s Porpoise, AK. 

Killer whale, GOA, BSAI transient.1

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

Ringed seal, AK. 

AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish longline .......................................... 295 ................. Sperm whale, North Pacific. 

HI shallow-set longline * ∧ ........................................................... 22 ................... Blainville’s beaked whale, HI. 

Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. 

False killer whale, HI Pelagic.1

Humpback whale, Central North Pacific. 

Risso’s dolphin, HI. 

Rough-toothed dolphin, HI. 

Short-finned pilot whale, HI. 

Striped dolphin, HI. 

American Samoa longline 2 ........................................................ 18 ................... Bottlenose dolphin, unknown. 

Cuvier’s beaked whale, unknown. 

False killer whale, American Samoa. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 47435 

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 

Rough-toothed dolphin, American Samoa. 

Short-finned pilot whale, unknown. 

HI shortline 2 ............................................................................... 9 ..................... None documented. 

CATEGORY III 

GILLNET FISHERIES: 

AK Kuskokwim, Yukon, Norton Sound, Kotzebue salmon 

gillnet.

1,778 .............. Harbor porpoise, Bering Sea. 

AK Prince William Sound salmon set gillnet .............................. 29 ................... Harbor seal, GOA. 

Sea otter, South central AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK roe herring and food/bait herring gillnet ............................... 920 ................. None documented. 

CA set gillnet (mesh size <3.5 in) .............................................. 296 ................. None documented. 

HI inshore gillnet ......................................................................... 36 ................... Bottlenose dolphin, HI. 

Spinner dolphin, HI. 

WA Grays Harbor salmon drift gillnet (excluding treaty Tribal 

fishing).

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

WA/OR Mainstem Columbia River eulachon gillnet ................... 15 ................... None documented. 

WA/OR lower Columbia River (includes tributaries) drift gillnet 110 ................. California sea lion, U.S. 

Harbor seal, OR/WA coast. 

WA Willapa Bay drift gillnet ........................................................ 82 ................... Harbor seal, OR/WA coast. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

MISCELLANEOUS NET FISHERIES: 

AK Cook Inlet salmon purse seine ............................................. 83 ................... Humpback whale, Central North Pacific. 

AK Kodiak salmon purse seine .................................................. 376 ................. Humpback whale, Central North Pacific. 

AK Southeast salmon purse seine ............................................. 315 ................. None documented in the most recent five years of data. 

AK Metlakatla salmon purse seine ............................................. 10 ................... None documented. 

AK roe herring and food/bait herring beach seine ..................... 10 ................... None documented. 

AK roe herring and food/bait herring purse seine ...................... 356 ................. None documented. 

AK salmon beach seine .............................................................. 31 ................... None documented. 

AK salmon purse seine (Prince William Sound, Chignik, Alaska Peninsula).936 ................. Harbor seal, GOA. 

Harbor seal, Prince William Sound. 

WA/OR sardine purse seine ....................................................... 42 ................... None documented. 

CA anchovy, mackerel, sardine purse seine .............................. 65 ................... California sea lion, U.S. 

Harbor seal, CA. 

CA squid purse seine ................................................................. 80 ................... Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

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

CA tuna purse seine * ................................................................. 10 ................... None documented. 

WA/OR Lower Columbia River salmon seine ............................ 10 ................... None documented. 

WA/OR herring, smelt, squid purse seine or lampara ............... 130 ................. None documented. 

WA salmon purse seine ............................................................. 75 ................... None documented. 

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

HI lift net ..................................................................................... 17 ................... None documented. 

HI inshore purse seine ............................................................... <3 ................... None documented. 

HI throw net, cast net ................................................................. 23 ................... None documented. 

HI seine net ................................................................................ 24 ................... None documented. 

DIP NET FISHERIES: 

CA squid dip net ......................................................................... 115 ................. None documented. 

MARINE AQUACULTURE FISHERIES: 

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. 

HI offshore pen culture ............................................................... 2 ..................... None documented. 

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 ........................ 705 ................. None documented. 

CA halibut hook and line/handline .............................................. unknown ........ None documented. 

CA white seabass hook and line/handline ................................. unknown ........ None documented. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands groundfish troll ....................... unknown ........ None documented. 

AK Gulf of Alaska groundfish troll .............................................. unknown ........ None documented. 

AK salmon troll ........................................................................... 1,908 .............. Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

American Samoa tuna troll ......................................................... 13 ................... None documented. 

CA/OR/WA salmon troll .............................................................. 4,300 .............. None documented. 

HI troll ......................................................................................... 2,117 .............. Pantropical spotted dolphin, HI. 

HI rod and reel ............................................................................ 322 ................. None documented.


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
47436 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / 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 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands tuna troll ....... 40 ................... None documented. 

Guam tuna troll ........................................................................... 432 ................. None documented. 

LONGLINE/SET LINE FISHERIES: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Greenland turbot longline ...... 4 ..................... Killer whale, AK resident. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands sablefish longline ................... 22 ................... None documented. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands halibut longline ....................... 127 ................. None documented. 

AK Gulf of Alaska halibut longline .............................................. 855 ................. None documented. 

AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod longline ....................................... 92 ................... Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK octopus/squid longline .......................................................... 3 ..................... 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 ................... 367 ................. Bottlenose dolphin, CA/OR/WA offshore. 

WA/OR Pacific halibut longline ................................................... 350 ................. None documented. 

CA pelagic longline ..................................................................... 1 ..................... None documented in the most recent five years of data. 

HI kaka line ................................................................................. 15 ................... None documented. 

HI vertical line ............................................................................. 3 ..................... None documented. 

TRAWL FISHERIES: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Atka mackerel trawl ............... 13 ................... Ribbon seal, AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod trawl ..................... 72 ................... Ringed seal, AK. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Gulf of Alaska flatfish trawl ................................................... 36 ................... Northern elephant seal, North Pacific. 

AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod trawl ............................................ 55 ................... Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Gulf of Alaska pollock trawl .................................................. 67 ................... Dall’s porpoise, AK. 

Fin whale, Northeast Pacific. 

Northern elephant seal, North Pacific. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

AK Gulf of Alaska rockfish trawl ................................................. 43 ................... None documented. 

AK Kodiak food/bait herring otter trawl ...................................... 4 ..................... None documented. 

AK shrimp otter trawl and beam trawl ........................................ 38 ................... None documented. 

AK state-managed waters of Prince William Sound groundfish 

trawl.

2 ..................... None documented. 

CA halibut bottom trawl .............................................................. 47 ................... California sea lion, U.S. 

Harbor porpoise, unknown. 

Harbor seal, unknown. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

Steller sea lion, unknown. 

CA sea cucumber trawl .............................................................. 16 ................... None documented. 

WA/OR/CA shrimp trawl ............................................................. 300 ................. None documented. 

WA/OR/CA groundfish trawl ....................................................... 160–180 ......... California sea lion, U.S. 

Dall’s porpoise, CA/OR/WA. 

Harbor seal, OR/WA coast. 

Northern fur seal, Eastern Pacific. 

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

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

POT, RING NET, AND TRAP FISHERIES: 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands sablefish pot ........................... 6 ..................... None documented. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands Pacific cod pot ....................... 59 ................... None documented. 

AK Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands crab pot .................................. 540 ................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

AK Gulf of Alaska crab pot ......................................................... 271 ................. None documented. 

AK Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod pot .............................................. 116 ................. Harbor seal, GOA. 

AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish pot .................................................. 248 ................. None documented. 

AK Southeast Alaska crab pot ................................................... 375 ................. Humpback whale, Central North Pacific (Southeast AK). 

AK Southeast Alaska shrimp pot ................................................ 210 ................. Humpback whale, Central North Pacific (Southeast AK). 

AK shrimp pot, except Southeast ............................................... 141 ................. None documented. 

AK octopus/squid pot .................................................................. 15 ................... None documented. 

CA/OR coonstripe shrimp pot ..................................................... 36 ................... Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, CA. 

CA rock crab pot ......................................................................... 124 ................. Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific. 

Harbor seal, CA. 

WA/OR/CA hagfish pot ............................................................... 54 ................... None documented. 

WA/OR shrimp pot/trap .............................................................. 254 ................. None documented. 

WA Puget Sound Dungeness crab pot/trap ............................... 249 ................. None documented. 

HI crab trap ................................................................................. 5 ..................... Humpback whale, Central North Pacific. 

HI fish trap .................................................................................. 9 ..................... None documented. 

HI lobster trap ............................................................................. <3 ................... None documented in recent years. 

HI shrimp trap ............................................................................. 10 ................... None documented. 

HI crab net .................................................................................. 4 ..................... None documented. 

HI Kona crab loop net ................................................................ 33 ................... None documented. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 47437 

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 

HOOK-AND-LINE, HANDLINE, AND JIG FISHERIES: 

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

AK Gulf of Alaska groundfish jig ................................................ 214 ................. Fin whale, Northeast Pacific. 

AK halibut jig ............................................................................... 71 ................... None documented. 

American Samoa bottomfish ...................................................... 17 ................... None documented. 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands bottomfish ..... 28 ................... None documented. 

Guam bottomfish ........................................................................ >300 ............... None documented. 

HI aku boat, pole, and line ......................................................... <3 ................... None documented. 

HI bottomfish handline ................................................................ 578 ................. None documented in recent years. 

HI inshore handline ..................................................................... 357 ................. None documented. 

HI pelagic handline ..................................................................... 534 ................. None documented. 

WA groundfish, bottomfish jig ..................................................... 679 ................. None documented. 

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

HARPOON FISHERIES: 

CA swordfish harpoon ................................................................ 6 ..................... None documented. 

POUND NET/WEIR FISHERIES: 

AK herring spawn on kelp pound net ......................................... 291 ................. None documented. 

AK Southeast herring roe/food/bait pound net ........................... 2 ..................... 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 ...................................................................................... 130 ................. None documented. 

AK Dungeness crab .................................................................... 2 ..................... None documented. 

AK herring spawn on kelp .......................................................... 266 ................. None documented. 

AK miscellaneous invertebrates handpick .................................. 214 ................. None documented. 

HI black coral diving ................................................................... <3 ................... None documented. 

HI fish pond ................................................................................ 5 ..................... None documented. 

HI handpick ................................................................................. 46 ................... None documented. 

HI lobster diving .......................................................................... 19 ................... None documented. 

HI spearfishing ............................................................................ 163 ................. None documented.

WA/CA kelp ................................................................................ 4 ..................... None documented. 

WA/OR bait shrimp, clam hand, dive, or mechanical collection 201 ................. None documented. 

OR/CA sea urchin, sea cucumber hand, dive, or mechanical 

collection.

10 ................... None documented. 

COMMERCIAL PASSENGER FISHING VESSEL (CHARTER 

BOAT) FISHERIES: 

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

AK).

Killer whale, unknown. 

Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. 

Steller sea lion, Western U.S. 

LIVE FINFISH/SHELLFISH FISHERIES: 

CA nearshore finfish live trap/hook-and-line .............................. 93 ................... None documented. 

HI aquarium collecting ................................................................ 90 ................... 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; ∧ 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 ....................................................................... 3,950 .............. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern Migratory coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
47438 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / 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 

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 .................................................................. 4,332 .............. Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Common dolphin, WNA. 

Fin whale, WNA. 

Gray seal, WNA. 

Harbor porpoise, GME/BF.1

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Harp seal, WNA. 

Hooded seal, WNA. 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

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 trap/pot ....................... 10,163 ............ 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 *.

280 ................. Atlantic spotted dolphin, Northern GMX. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX oceanic. 

Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Common dolphin, WNA. 

Cuvier’s beaked whale, WNA. 

False killer whale, WNA. 

Harbor porpoise, GME, BF. 

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

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA.1

Mesoplodon beaked whale, WNA. 

Minke whale, Canadian East coast. 

Pantropical spotted dolphin, Northern GMX. 

Pygmy sperm whale, GMX. 

Risso’s 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 ............................................... 248 ................. Bottlenose dolphin, unknown (Northern migratory coastal or 

Southern migratory coastal). 

Gulf of Mexico gillnet 2 ................................................................ 248 ................. Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, and estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal. 

NC inshore gillnet ....................................................................... 2,850 .............. Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern NC estuarine system.1

Northeast anchored float gillnet 2 ............................................... 852 ................. Harbor seal, WNA. 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

White-sided dolphin, WNA. 

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

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

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern FL coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, SC/GA coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern migratory coastal. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic shark gillnet ..................................... 23 ................... 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) ...................... 382 ................. Gray seal, WNA. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 47439 

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 

Mid-Atlantic bottom trawl ............................................................ 785 ................. Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Common dolphin, WNA.1

Gray seal, WNA. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Risso’s dolphin, WNA.1

White-sided dolphin, WNA. 

Northeast mid-water trawl (including pair trawl) ......................... 1,087 .............. Common dolphin, WNA. 

Gray seal, WNA. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA.1

Minke whale, Canadian East Coast. 

Northeast bottom trawl ............................................................... 2,238 .............. Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Common dolphin, WNA. 

Gray seal, WNA. 

Harbor porpoise, GME/BF. 

Harbor seal, WNA. 

Harp seal, WNA. 

Long-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

Risso’s dolphin, WNA. 

White-sided dolphin, WNA.1

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl ........... 4,950 .............. Atlantic spotted dolphin, GMX continental and oceanic. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Charleston estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, estuarine.1

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX continental shelf. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, SC/GA coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal.1

West Indian manatee, Florida. 

TRAP/POT FISHERIES: 

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

pot 2.

1,384 .............. 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, Northern GMX coastal. 

Atlantic mixed species trap/pot 2 ................................................ 3,436 .............. Fin whale, WNA. 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

Atlantic blue crab trap/pot ........................................................... 7,714 .............. Bottlenose dolphin, Central FL coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Central GA estuarine system. 

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. 

Bottlenose dolphin, SC/GA coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern GA estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal. 

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 Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay 

Boudreau. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal.1

Mid-Atlantic menhaden purse seine 2 ......................................... 19 ................... Bottlenose dolphin, Northern Migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal. 

HAUL/BEACH SEINE FISHERIES: 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
47440 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / 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 

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 ..................................................................... 30 ................... Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system.1

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern 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 .............................................................................. 26 ................... Bottlenose dolphin, Northern migratory coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern NC estuarine system. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Southern Migratory coastal.1

CATEGORY III 

GILLNET FISHERIES: 

Caribbean gillnet ......................................................................... >991 ............... None documented in the most recent five years of data. 

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

Long Island Sound inshore gillnet .............................................. unknown ........ None documented in the most recent five 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 five 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: 

Finfish aquaculture ..................................................................... 48 ................... Harbor seal, WNA. 

Shellfish aquaculture .................................................................. unknown ........ None documented. 

PURSE SEINE FISHERIES: 

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

Gray seal, WNA. 

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

FL West Coast sardine purse seine ........................................... 10 ................... Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal. 

U.S. Atlantic tuna purse seine * .................................................. 5 ..................... Long-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

Short-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

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 hookand-line/harpoon.3,084 .............. Bottlenose dolphin, WNA offshore. 

Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine. 

Southeastern U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean 

snapper-grouper and other reef fish bottom longline/hookand-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 ........ None documented. 

TRAP/POT FISHERIES: 

Caribbean mixed species trap/pot .............................................. >501 ............... None documented. 

Caribbean spiny lobster trap/pot ................................................ >197 ............... 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 estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, FL Keys. 

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

Bottlenose dolphin, Eastern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, GMX bay, sound, estuarine. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay 

Boudreau. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Northern GMX coastal. 

Bottlenose dolphin, Western GMX coastal. 

West Indian manatee, FL. 

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


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 47441 

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 

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. 

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. 

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 ....................................................... 15 ................... None documented in the most recent five years of data. 

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, 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. 

Short-finned pilot whale, WNA. 

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; 1 Fishery 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; 2 Fishery classified by analogy; * Fishery has an associated high seas component listed in Table 3. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
47442 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

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: 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species * ............................................... 79 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) * ∧ .................. 143 Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. 

False killer whale, HI Pelagic. 

Humpback whale, Central North Pacific. 

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

Pygmy killer whale, HI. 

Risso’s dolphin, HI. 

Short-finned pilot whale, HI. 

Sperm whale, HI. 

Striped dolphin, HI. 

Category II 

DRIFT GILLNET FISHERIES: 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species * ∧ .............................................. 4 Long-beaked common dolphin, CA. 

Humpback whale, 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: 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species ** .............................................. 2 No information. 

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

PURSE SEINE FISHERIES: 

South Pacific Tuna Fisheries ........................................................ 35 No information. 

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

LONGLINE FISHERIES: 

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

South Pacific Albacore Troll .......................................................... 9 No information. 

South Pacific Tuna Fisheries ** ..................................................... 4 No information. 

Western Pacific Pelagic (HI Shallow-set component) * ∧ .............. 22 Blainville’s beaked whale, HI. 

Bottlenose dolphin, HI Pelagic. 

False killer whale, HI Pelagic. 

Humpback whale, Central North Pacific. 

Northern elephant seal, CA breeding. 

Risso’s dolphin, HI. 

Rough-toothed dolphin, HI. 

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

Short-finned pilot whale, HI. 

Striped dolphin, HI. 

HANDLINE/POLE AND LINE FISHERIES: 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species ................................................. 2 No information. 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species .................................................. 42 No information. 

South Pacific Albacore Troll .......................................................... 11 No information. 

Western Pacific Pelagic ................................................................ 5 No information. 

TROLL FISHERIES: 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species ................................................. 1 No information. 

South Pacific Albacore Troll .......................................................... 22 No information. 

South Pacific Tuna Fisheries ** ..................................................... 4 No information. 

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

Category III 

LONGLINE FISHERIES: 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 47443 

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 

Northwest Atlantic Bottom Longline .............................................. 1 None documented. 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species .................................................. 105 None documented in the most recent 5 years of data. 

PURSE SEINE FISHERIES: 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species * ∧ .............................................. 7 None documented. 

TRAWL FISHERIES: 

Northwest Atlantic ......................................................................... 2 None documented. 

TROLL FISHERIES: 

Pacific Highly Migratory Species * ................................................ 149 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. 

** These gear types are not authorized under the Pacific HMS FMP (2004), the Atlantic HMS FMP (2006), or without a South Pacific Tuna 

Treaty license (in the case of the South Pacific Tuna fisheries). Because HSFCA permits are valid for five years, permits obtained in past years 

exist in the HSFCA permit database for gear types that are now unauthorized. Therefore, while HSFCA permits exist for these gear types, it 

does not represent effort. In order to land fish species, fishers must be using an authorized gear type. Once these permits for unauthorized gear 

types expire, the permit-holder will be required to obtain a permit for an authorized gear type. 

∧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 trap/pot. 

Northeast sink gillnet. 

Category II 

Atlantic blue crab trap/pot. 

Atlantic mixed species trap/pot. 

Northeast anchored float gillnet. 

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.∧

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 I 

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. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
47444 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE 4—FISHERIES AFFECTED BY TAKE REDUCTION TEAMS AND PLANS—Continued 

Take reduction plans Affected fisheries 

Northeast mid-water trawl (including pair trawl). 

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

Ocean. 

Classification 

The Chief Counsel for Regulation of 

the Department of Commerce has 

certified to the Chief Counsel for 

Advocacy of the Small Business 

Administration (SBA) that this LOF 

would not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. Any entity with combined 

annual fishery landing receipts less than 

$11 million is considered a small entity. 

Under the former, lower size standards, 

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 nonendangered and non-threatened marine 

mammals incidental to commercial 

fishing operations. Additionally, 

individuals may be subject to a TRP and 

requested to carry an observer. NMFS 

has estimated that up to approximately 

77,385 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. Three 

hundred and thirteen fishing vessels are 

new to Category II as a result of this 

proposed LOF. 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. 

Therefore, this proposed LOF would not 

impose any direct costs on small 

entities. Record keeping 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. As a result of this 

certification, an initial regulatory 

flexibility analysis is not required and 

has not been prepared. 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. 

This LOF contains collection-ofinformation (COI) requirements subject 

to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The 

COI for the registration of individuals 

under the MMPA has been approved by 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(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 and OMB (see 

ADDRESSES and SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION). 

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. 

This proposed rule has been 

determined to be not significant for the 

purposes of Executive Orders 12866 and 

13563. 

This rule is not expected to be an E.O. 

13771 regulatory action because this 

rule is not significant under E.O. 12866. 

NMFS preliminary determined the 

proposed LOF is consistent with 

categories of activities identified in CE 

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 caseby-case basis’’) of the Companion 

Manual for NAO 216–6A 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 a 

management action, for example, 

through the development of a TRP, 

NMFS would first prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

or Environmental Assessment (EA), as 

required under NEPA, specific to that 

action. 

This proposed LOF 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 LOF 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 LOF 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 take reduction teams. 

This proposed LOF 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 

Allen, B.M. and R.P. Angliss, editors. 2016. 

Alaska Marine Mammal Stock 

Assessments, 2015. NOAA Tech. Memo. 

NMFS–AFSC–323. 309 p. 

Carretta, J.V., E. Oleson, D.W. Weller, A.R. 

Lang, K.A. Forney, J. Baker, M.M. Muto, 

B. Hanson, A.J. Orr, H. Huber, M.S. 

Lowry, J. Barlow, J.E. Moore, D. Lynch, 

L. Carswell, and R.L. Brownell Jr. 2015. 

U.S. Pacific Marine Mammal Stock 

Assessments: 2014. NOAA Technical 

Memorandum NOAA–TM–NMFS– 

SWFSC–549. 414 p. 

Carretta, J.V., K.A. Forney, E. Oleson, D.W. 

Weller, A.R. Lang, J. Baker, M.M. Muto, 

B. Hanson, A.J. Orr, H. Huber, M.S. 

Lowry, J.Barlow, J.E. Moore, D. Lynch, L. 

Carswell, and R.L. Brownell Jr. 2017. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Proposed Rules 47445 

U.S. Pacific Marine Mammal Stock 

Assessments: 2016. NOAA Technical 

Memorandum NOAA–TM–NMFS– 

SWFSC–577. 414 p. 

Carretta, J.V., J.E. Moore, and K.A. Forney. 

2017. Regression tree and ratio estimates 

of marine mammal, sea turtle, and 

seabird bycatch in the California drift 

gillnet fishery: 1990–2015. NOAA 

Technical Memorandum, NOAA–TM– 

NMFS–SWFSC–568. 83 p. doi:10.7289/ 

V5/TM–SWFSC–568. 

Carretta, J.V., M.M. Muto, S. Wilkin, J. 

Greenman, K. Wilkinson, D. Lawson, J. 

Viezbicke, and J. Jannot. 2017. Sources of 

human-related injury and mortality for 

U.S. Pacific west coast marine mammal 

stocks assessments, 2011–2015. NOAA– 

TM–NMFS–SWFSC–579. 126 p. 

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

and P.E. Rosel, editors. 2017. U.S. 

Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine 

Mammal Stocks Assessments, 2016. 

NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA– 

NE–241. 274 p. 

Jannot, J.E., V. Tuttle, K. Somers, Y-W. Lee, 

J. McVeigh. 2016. Marine Mammal, 

Seabird, and Sea Turtle Summary of 

Observed Interactions, 2002–2014. 

Fisheries Observation Science, Fishery 

Resource Analysis and Monitoring 

Division, Northwest Fisheries Science 

Center. 

McCracken, M.L. 2016. Assessment of 

Incidental Interactions with Marine 

Mammals in the Hawaii Deep and 

Shallow Set Fisheries from 2010 through 

2014. NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries 

Science Center, PIFSC Internal Report 

IR–16–008. 2 p. + Excel spreadsheet. 

Muto, M.M., V.T. Helker, R.P. Angliss, B.A. 

Allen, P.L. Boveng, J.M. Breiwick, M.F. 

Cameron, P.J. Clapham, S.P. Dahle, M.E. 

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

L.W. Fritz, 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, R.G. Towell, 

P.R. Wade, J.M. Waite, and A.N. Zerbini. 

2017. Alaska Marine Mammal Stock 

Assessments, 2016. NOAA Technical 

Memorandum NOAA–TM–NMFS– 

AFSC–355. 367 p. 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 2012. 

National Marine Fisheries Service Policy 

Directive 02–238. Process for 

Distinguishing Serious from Non-Serious 

Injury of Marine Mammals, 4 p. 

(Available at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ 

op/pds/documents/02/02-238.pdf). 

Rone, B.K., A.N. Zerbini, A.B. Douglas, D.W. 

Weller, and P.J. Clapham. 2016. 

Abundance and distribution of cetaceans 

in the Gulf of Alaska. Marine Biology 

164:23. 

Waring, G.T., E. Josephson, K. Maze-Foley, 

and P.E. Rosel, editors. 2016. U.S. 

Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine 

Mammal Stocks Assessments, 2015. 

NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA– 

NE–238. 512 p. 

Western Pacific Regional Fishery 

Management Council (WPRFMC). 2015a. 

Stock Assessment and Fishery 

Evaluation (SAFE) Report Pacific Island 

Pelagic Fisheries. 396 p. 

Western Pacific Regional Fishery 

Management Council (WPRFMC). 2015b. 

Annual Stock Assessment and Fishery 

Evaluation Report: Fishery Ecosystem 

Plan for the American Samoa 

Archipelago. 202 p. 

Dated: October 4, 2017. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21837 Filed 10–11–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS