Amendment 49 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council would revise the sector annual catch limits (ACLs), the commercial minimum size limit, the commercial seasonal trip limits, and the April spawning season closure for greater amberjack. In addition, Amendment 49 would revise the overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, annual optimum yield, and sector allocations of the total ACL for greater amberjack. Amendment 49 would remove the recreational annual catch targets for species in the FMP. The purpose of Amendment 49 is to ensure catch limits are based on the best scientific information available and to ensure overfishing does not occur for the South Atlantic greater amberjack stock, while increasing social and economic benefits.
NOAA NEPA Document Database (beta)
This beta version of the NOAA NEPA Document Database catalogs environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EISs) that NOAA is currently developing. The Database also includes some of the EAs or EISs NOAA has completed in the past, although information may be limited and contain errors. The Database does not track proposed actions that rely on categorical exclusions. The Database also does not capture information on proposed actions for which another Federal agency is the lead agency for NEPA or when NOAA adopts another Federal agency’s EA or EIS. Please send any questions or corrections to noaa.nepa@noaa.gov with the Subject line: “NOAA NEPA Document Database comment.“
The Framework proposes to 1) update state-specific red snapper private angling component calibration ratios and annual catch limits (ACL) for Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi to provide a more accurate estimate of state landings for red snapper management; and 2) update gray snapper catch limits including the overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, and ACL based on SEDAR 75 and approved as best scientific information available by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee. There are no potential significant impacts, issues, or problems with the project. This framework and proposed regulation changes are not expected to be controversial.
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Draft EA for Motivation Permit at Florida Keys NMS
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Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Coral, Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitat of the South Atlantic Region
The proposed action would establish a shrimp fishery access area (SFAA) along the eastern boundary of the northern extension of the Oculina Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern (OHAPC) where trawling for rock shrimp is currently prohibited. Within the proposed SFAA, a shrimp vessel with a valid limited access commercial vessel permit for rock shrimp would be allowed to bottom trawl for rock shrimp. Coral Amendment 10 would help achieve optimum yield in the South Atlantic rock shrimp portion of the shrimp fishery and increase economic and social benefits to rock shrimp fishermen by increasing access to historic rock shrimp fishing grounds, while maintaining protection of the Oculina deep water coral ecosystems.
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Amendment 3 to the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plans: Management Measures for Dolphinfish and Wahoo
Amendment 3 establishes minimum size limits and recreational bag limits for dolphinfish and wahoo in federal waters around Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John. Specifically, Amendment 3 specifies a 24” fork length minimum size limit for dolphinfish and a 32” fork length minimum size limit for wahoo in federal waters. Additionally, Amendment 3 would establish the following recreational bag limits per person/per vessel, whichever is less, per day: 5/15 dolphinfish and 5/10 wahoo in federal waters around Puerto Rico and 10/32 dolphinfish and 2/10 wahoo in federal waters around St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John.
There are no known potential significant impacts or issues.
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Specify annual catch limits for red snapper in 2017; Temporary Measures through Emergency Action
Red snapper has been closed in the South Atlantic from 2010 to 2017 except for short seasons in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Recently discovered and unforeseen data from the long-term Southeast Reef Fish Survey (SERFS) fishery independent index of abundance show that the red snapper stock has continued to rebuild and the population has increased. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing temporary measures through emergency action to allow a limited fishing season for the recreational and commercial sectors in 2017. No significant impacts to protected species are expected.
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NMFS proposes to consider identifying one or more locations, referred to as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas or AOAs, that may be suitable for multiple future offshore aquaculture projects in Federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, and to evaluate the general impacts of siting aquaculture in those locations, which could occur through future proposals and project level review. AOAs identified through this process would be considered suitable for finfish, shellfish, macroalgae or multi-species aquaculture. The proposed action is a long-term planning effort. It is not a regulatory or permitting action and does not propose to authorize or permit any specific aquaculture-related activities or individual aquaculture projects.
On May 7, 2020, the White House issued an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth (E.O. 13921), which requires the Secretary of Commerce to identify geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture. The purpose of the proposed action is to apply a science-based approach to identify AOAs in Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The goal of identifying AOAs is to promote American seafood competitiveness, food security, economic growth, and support the facilitation of the development of domestic commercial aquaculture, consistent with sustaining and conserving marine resources and applicable laws, regulations and policies.
The proposed action is needed to meet the directives of E.O. 13921 to address the increasing demand for seafood; facilitate long-term planning for marine aquaculture development; and address interests and concerns regarding offshore marine aquaculture siting.
The PEIS will analyze potential impacts to the human environment that may occur should projects be proposed in one or more AOAs, if identified. Biological and physical resources impacted by potential future offshore aquaculture development in proposed AOA locations may include water quality, air quality, habitat (e.g., benthic and water column habitats), managed and non-managed fishery resources (e.g., fish, elasmobranchs, such as sharks, and invertebrates), and protected resources including migratory birds, corals, fish (including elasmobranchs such as sharks), sea turtles and marine mammals. Impacts to these biological and physical resources that may be considered include protected species interactions (e.g., entanglement, vessel strikes); alteration to habitats; disease transmission risk; escapement risk (e.g., genetic impacts); water quality changes (e.g., nutrients, contaminants); habitat displacement and fragmentation; gear failure risk (e.g., storm risk, operator error); marine debris; impacts to essential fish habitat; ecosystem impacts (e.g., alteration of predator prey interactions, broodstock sourcing, fish aggregating device effects); and noise, lighting and visual disturbance. Impacts to the biological and physical environment could occur during the aquaculture development, implementation, and decommissioning phases of a project, which include siting, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal.
Socioeconomic impacts considered may include impacts to commercial and recreational fishing; tourism and recreation; public health and safety; transportation; communications infrastructure; domestic and international seafood markets; oil, gas and alternative energy development and infrastructure; military preparedness; local ports, marinas and communities; and local job markets. Cultural and historic resources impacted could include archaeological sites, traditional fishing grounds and American Indian traditional uses. Environmental justice impacts considered may include impacts to vulnerable communities, impacts of aquaculture on climate change, and impacts of climate change on aquaculture.
Wherever possible and supported by the best available science, the PEIS will recommend mitigation strategies to address impacts associated with offshore aquaculture siting and development in the proposed AOAs.
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This DEIS is prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act to assess the environmental impacts associated with a reasonable range of alternatives intended to modify the sector allocation, overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, annual catch limits, and annual catch targets of red grouper in the Gulf of Mexico.
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EIS for designation of Atchafalaya NERR in Louisiana
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The State of WI has nominated sites within the Bay of Green Bay for designation as a NERR. This would join 30 other sites around the country.
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Amendment 33 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, 2025-26 Harvest Specifications, and Management Measures Environmental Assessment (EA) and Regulatory Impact Review (RIR)
This action would establish the 2025-26 harvest specifications for groundfish caught in the U.S. exclusive economic zone seaward of Washington, Oregon, and California, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. This action would also revise management measures intended to keep the total annual catch of each groundfish stock or stock complex within the annual catch limits. These measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, achieve optimum yield, and ensure management measures are based on the best scientific information available. We do not anticipate significant impacts from this action.
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This document supports implementation of 2024-2026 fishing years’ specifications for federal spiny dogfish specifications, which support a sustainable stock and harvest of optimum yield.
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This action would modify the regulatory process of scheduling restricted-fishing days (RFDs). As part of this modification, this action may codify and set the schedule of RFDs for the 2024 fishing year and subsequent fishing years. This action also would establish a General category default daily retention limit for large medium or giant bluefin tuna (BFT) on open days. Finally, this action would clarify the BFT dealer regulations and the definition of a BSD tag to address dealer and dealer agent activities on RFDs. This action is being taken pursuant to the rulemaking authority under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 1801 et seq., and consistent with the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act, id. §§ 971 et seq. This action is not anticipated to have any potential significant impacts on the environment.
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The proposed action is to develop and approve management measures for the 2024 ocean salmon fisheries
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NMFS authorize incidental take of marine mammals (ringed seal only) resulting from the U.S. Navy's Ice Exercises (ICEX) in the Arctic Ocean in 2024. Takes may result from active acoustic transmissions. ICEX 2022 included use of exercise torpedoes, but ICEX 2024 does not include use of torpedoes.
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The Navy is conducting Ice Exercises in Spring 2022 in the Arctic Ocean. Significant impacts are not anticipated.
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Environmental Assessment for the Issuance of Incidental Harassment Authorizations for the take of Marine Mammals by Harassment Incidental to Furie Operating Alaska, LLC Oil and Gas Activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Furie is proposing to conduct rig tugging and pile driving activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska. These activities are similar to activities that Hilcorp has conducted in the past. NMFS was sued on the initial authorization to Hilcorp for not issuing take associated with tugging, and later issued two IHAs for tugging as a result of the lawsuit.
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Framework Amendment 2 to the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John Fishery Management Plans (FMP) would modify the overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, and annual catch limit for spiny lobster under each FMP consistent with results from the 2022 Update Assessment to the 2019 SEDAR 57 Spiny Lobster Stock Assessments.
Framework Amendment 2 modifies the OFL, ABC, and ACL for spiny lobster under each FMP consistent with results from the 2022 Update Assessment to the 2019 SEDAR 57 Spiny Lobster Stock Assessments and recommendations from the Caribbean Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The Council accepted the SSC’s recommendation of a constant ABC based on the 3-year average of the ABCs projected for the years 2024-2026 and set the ACL equal to 95% of the ABC. The final rule updates the ACL for the spiny lobster stock under each FMP.
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Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), and Shoreline and Salt Marsh Resources on Ram Island Impacted by the Bouchard Barge 120 (B-120) Oil Spill
The Trustees propose to use the settlement funds totaling $5.53M (plus accrued account interest) for roseate and common tern nesting habitat restoration, and shoreline and salt marsh restoration and shoreline erosion control on Ram Island in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts.