Notice2025-24128
Aquaculture Support Operations Waiver Request for the Vessels COLBY PERCE, RONJA CARRIER, SADIE JANE, MISS MILDRED 1, and KC COMMANDER
Primary source
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Published
December 31, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentMaritime Administration
Abstract
Pursuant to a delegation of authority from the Secretary of Transportation, the Maritime Administrator is authorized to issue Aquaculture Support Operations Waivers to U.S. documented vessels with registry endorsements or foreign flag vessels in operations that treat aquaculture fish or protect aquaculture fish from disease, parasitic infestation, or other threats to their health upon a finding that suitable vessels of the United States are not available that could perform those operations. MARAD has received an Aquaculture Support Operations Waiver request and is publishing this notice to solicit comments that may assist MARAD in determining whether suitable vessels of the United States are available that could perform the proposed aquaculture support operations set forth in the request. A brief description of the proposed aquaculture support operations is in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 247 (Wednesday, December 31, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 31, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61499-61500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-24128]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Maritime Administration
[Docket Number MARAD-2025-1224]
Aquaculture Support Operations Waiver Request for the Vessels
COLBY PERCE, RONJA CARRIER, SADIE JANE, MISS MILDRED 1, and KC
COMMANDER
AGENCY: Maritime Administration (MARAD), Department of Transportation
(DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to a delegation of authority from the Secretary of
Transportation, the Maritime Administrator is authorized to issue
Aquaculture Support Operations Waivers to U.S. documented vessels with
registry endorsements or foreign flag vessels in operations that treat
aquaculture fish or protect aquaculture fish from disease, parasitic
infestation, or other threats to their health upon a
[[Page 61500]]
finding that suitable vessels of the United States are not available
that could perform those operations. MARAD has received an Aquaculture
Support Operations Waiver request and is publishing this notice to
solicit comments that may assist MARAD in determining whether suitable
vessels of the United States are available that could perform the
proposed aquaculture support operations set forth in the request. A
brief description of the proposed aquaculture support operations is in
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.
DATES: Submit comments on or before January 30, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Number
MARAD-2025-1224 by any of the following methods:
<bullet> On-line via the Federal Electronic Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Search using MARAD-2025-1224 and follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail/Hand-Delivery/Courier: Docket Management Facility;
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590. Submit comments in an unbound format, no
larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic
filing.
Reference Materials and Docket Information: The complete
application, including the aquaculture support technical service
requirements, and all public comments may be viewed on the DOT Docket
on-line via <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> using the search MARAD-2025-1224
All comments received will be posted without change to the docket,
including any personal information provided. The Docket Management
Facility is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
on Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Castillo, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Room W23-463, Washington, DC 20590. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dc8bb5b0b0b5bdb1f29fbdafa8b5b0b0b39cb8b3a8f2bbb3aa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4017292c2c29212d6e03213334292c2c2f00242f346e272f36">[email protected]</span></a>.
Phone: 202-366-2296. If you have questions on viewing the Docket, call
Docket Operations, telephone: (800) 647-5527.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 46 CFR 106.115, vessel owners,
operators, or charterers of U.S. documented vessels with registry
endorsements or foreign flag vessels are required to provide prior
notification to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) of aquaculture
support operations in U.S. waters. The notification, in part, must
include a copy of a MARAD-issued Aquaculture Support Operations Waiver.
Pursuant to 46 U.S.C. 12102(d), the Secretary of Transportation has the
authority to issue Aquaculture Support Operations Waivers to U.S.
documented vessels with registry endorsements or foreign flag vessels
engaged in operations that treat aquaculture fish or protect
aquaculture fish from disease, parasitic infestation, or other threats
to their health after a finding that suitable vessels of the United
States are not available that could perform those operations. The
Secretary has delegated this authority to the Maritime Administrator.
MARAD has received an Aquaculture Support Operations Waiver request
from Cooke Aquaculture USA, Inc. (Cooke) for the operations of the
Canadian-flag vessels COLBY PERCE, RONJA CARRIER, SADIE JANE, MISS
MILDRED 1, and KC COMMANDER. Cooke proposes, in part, ``to use highly
specialized foreign-flag vessels referred to as a `wellboat' (or ``live
fish carrier'') to treat Cooke's swimming inventory of farmed Atlantic
salmon in the company's salt-water grow-out pens off Maine's North
Atlantic Coast. This treatment prevents against parasitic infestation
by sea lice that is highly destructive to the salmon's health.'' Cooke
proposes to operate the vessels off Maine's North Atlantic Coast from
January 1 to December 31, 2026. Further details of Cooke's proposed
operations may be found in the waiver request posted in the docket.
The public may submit comments providing detailed information
relating to the availability of U.S.-flag vessels to perform the
proposed aquaculture support operations set forth in Cooke's waiver
request. Comments should reference the docket number of this notice,
the vessel names, the commenter's interest in the application, and
address whether there are suitable. U.S. vessels available to conduct
the proposed aquaculture support operations.
Privacy Act
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), MARAD solicits comments from
the public to inform its decision determining the availability of
suitable U.S.-flag vessels to conduct the aquaculture support
operations proposed in this notice. All timely comments will be
considered; however, to facilitate comment tracking, commenters should
provide their name or the name of their organization. If comments
contain proprietary or confidential information, commenters may contact
the agency for alternate submission instructions. Anyone can search the
electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment,
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
For information on DOT's compliance with the Privacy Act, please visit
<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/privacy">https://www.transportation.gov/privacy</a>.
(Authority: 49 CFR l .93(w).)
* * * * *
By order of the Maritime Administration.
Gabriel Chavez,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025-24128 Filed 12-30-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P
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