The U.S. National Marine Fisheries has issued regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Atlantic Fleet Training
and Testing Study Area over the course of five years beginning in November, 2018. These regulations allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and time frames, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, and establish requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. These regulations are effective from November 14, 2018 through November 13, 2023.
Click here to read NMFS’ Federal Register notice of these regulations.
