The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, upon request from the U.S. Navy, has issued regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the Navy’s training and testing activities conducted in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing Study Area over the course of five years beginning in December 2018. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and timeframes, 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. They are effective from December 21, 2018 through December 20, 2023.
Click here for more details and relevant links.
