Data / Federal rules / 2024-31402
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the U.S. Navy Training and Testing Activities in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing Study Area
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published this proposed rule in the Federal Register on January 16, 2025. It took effect on January 16, 2025.
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What the agency says
NMFS, upon request from the U.S. Navy (Navy), issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT) Study Area between 2018 and 2025. In 2021, two separate U.S. Navy vessels struck unidentified large whales on two separate occasions, one whale in June 2021 and one whale in July 2021, in waters off Southern California. The takes by vessel strike of the two whales by the U.S. Navy were covered by the existing regulations and Letters of Authorization (LOAs), which authorize the U.S. Navy to take up to three large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike between 2018 and 2025. The Navy reanalyzed the potential of vessel strike in the HSTT Study Area, including the recent strikes, and as a result, requested two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period. In May 2023, a U.S. Navy vessel struck a large whale in waters off Southern California. NMFS reanalyzed the potential for vessel strike based on new information, including the three strikes, and authorizes two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period (two takes in addition to the three takes authorized in the current regulations). The Navy's activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).
Key facts
- Document number
- 2024-31402
- Type
- Proposed rule
- Action
- Final rule; notification of issuance of Letters of Authorization
- Agency
- Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Published
- January 16, 2025
- Takes effect
- January 16, 2025
- Dates
- Effective from January 16, 2025 to December 20, 2025.
- Docket
- Docket No. 241220-0334
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 0648-BL72
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 50 CFR 218
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Endangered and threatened species; Fish; Fisheries; Marine mammals; Penalties; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Transportation; Wildlife
- Pages
- 86
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