The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has issued regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals by the U.S. Navy incidental to training and testing activities conducted in the Mariana Islands Training and Testing Study Area. These regulations allow NMFS to issue a Letter of Authorization for the incidental take of marine mammals during the Navy’s specified activities and timeframes. These regulations also set forth the permissible methods of taking; set forth other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat; and set forth requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of the incidental take. These regulations are effective August 3, 2015 through August 3, 2020.
Click here to read NMFS’ Federal Register notice of these regulations.
