Notice2026-03372
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to a Marine Geophysical Survey of the East Pacific Rise in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 20, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
In accordance with regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (L-DEO) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical survey of the East Pacific Rise in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 34 (Friday, February 20, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 34 (Friday, February 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8208-8209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03372]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF474]
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities;
Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to a Marine Geophysical Survey of the
East Pacific Rise in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of incidental harassment authorization.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with regulations implementing the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that
NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (L-DEO) for authorization to take
marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical survey of the East
Pacific Rise in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP).
DATES: This authorization is effective for 1 year from the date of
notification by the IHA-holder, not to exceed 1 year from the date of
issuance (February 11, 2026).
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the application and supporting
documents, as well as a list of the references cited in this document,
may be obtained online at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-research-and-other-activities#active-authorizations">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-research-and-other-activities#active-authorizations</a>. In case of problems accessing
these documents, please call the contact listed below.
[[Page 8209]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jenna Harlacher, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427-8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
MMPA Background and Determinations
The MMPA prohibits the ``take'' of marine mammals, with certain
exceptions. Among the exceptions is section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA
(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) which directs the Secretary of Commerce (as
delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not
intentional, taking by harassment of small numbers of marine mammals by
U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial
fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain findings are
made and the public has an opportunity to comment on the proposed IHA.
Specifically, NMFS will issue an IHA if it finds that the taking
will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s) and will not
have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species
or stock(s) for taking for subsistence uses (where relevant). Further,
NMFS must prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other ``means
of effecting the least [practicable] adverse impact'' on the affected
species or stocks and their habitat, paying particular attention to
rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar significance, and on
the availability of such species or stocks for taking for certain
subsistence uses (referred to here as ``mitigation''). NMFS must also
prescribe requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of
such takings. The definitions of key terms, such as ``take,''
``harassment,'' and ``negligible impact,'' can be found in the MMPA and
the NMFS' implementing regulations (see 16 U.S.C. 1362; 50 CFR
216.103).
On December 18, 2025, a notice of NMFS' proposal to issue an IHA to
L-DEO for take of marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical
survey of the East Pacific Rise in the ETP was published in the Federal
Register (90 FR 59330, December 18, 2025). In that notice, NMFS
indicated the estimated numbers, type, and methods of incidental take
proposed for each species or stock, as well as the mitigation,
monitoring, and reporting measures that would be required should the
IHA be issued. The Federal Register notice also included analysis to
support NMFS' preliminary conclusions and determinations that the IHA,
if issued, would satisfy the requirements of section 101(a)(5)(D) of
the MMPA for issuance of the IHA. The Federal Register notice included
web links to a draft IHA for review, as well as other supporting
documents.
No comments were received during the public comment period. There
are no changes to the specified activity, the species taken, the
proposed numbers, type, or methods of take, or the mitigation,
monitoring, or reporting measures in the proposed IHA notice. No new
information that would change any of the preliminary analyses,
conclusions, or determinations in the proposed IHA notice has become
available since that notice was published, and therefore, the
preliminary analyses, conclusions, and determinations included in the
proposed IHA are considered final.
National Environmental Policy Act
To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA;
42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-6A,
NMFS must review our proposed action (i.e., the issuance of an IHA)
with respect to potential impacts on the human environment.
This action is consistent with categories of activities identified
in Categorical Exclusion B4 (IHAs with no anticipated serious injury or
mortality) of the Companion Manual for NAO 216-6A, which do not
individually or cumulatively have the potential for significant impacts
on the quality of the human environment and for which we have not
identified any extraordinary circumstances that would preclude this
categorical exclusion. Accordingly, NMFS has determined that the
issuance of the IHA qualifies to be categorically excluded from further
NEPA review.
Endangered Species Act
Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal agency ensures that any
action it authorizes, funds, or carries out is not likely to jeopardize
the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species or
result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated
critical habitat. To ensure ESA compliance for the issuance of IHAs,
NMFS consults internally whenever we propose to authorize take for
endangered or threatened species.
The NMFS Office of Protected Resources (OPR) ESA Interagency
Cooperation Division has issued a Biological Opinion under section 7 of
the ESA, on the issuance of an IHA to L-DEO under section 101(a)(5)(D)
of the MMPA by the NMFS OPR Permits and Conservation Division. The
Biological Opinion concluded that the action is not likely to
jeopardize the continued existence of ESA-listed humpback whales
(Central America Distinct Population Segment), fin whales, sei whales,
sperm whales and blue whales.
Authorization
Accordingly, consistent with the requirements of section
101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA, NMFS has issued an IHA to L-DEO for
authorization to take marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical
survey of the East Pacific Rise in the ETP.
Dated: February 17, 2026.
Shannon Bettridge,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-03372 Filed 2-19-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 20, 2026.
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