Good morning, NOAA Fisheries is proposing to issue five-year regulations <https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/04/27/2017-08066/taking-and-importing-marine-mammals-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to-us-navy-operations-of> under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to govern the incidental take of marine mammals by the U.S. Navy’s operation of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) SONAR in certain areas of the world’s oceans for the period of August 15, 2017 to August 15, 2022.
The Navy’s activities are likely to result in the incidental take of marine mammals by exposing them to low frequency sonar signals. The potential takes authorized by this action are Level B Harassment or behavioral disturbance takes. No level A Harassment takes (potential injury) are expected (or authorized) based on results from the past 14 years of operations and computer modeling of potential takes. No lethal takes are requested or authorized under the MMPA for this action. This will be NOAA Fisheries’ fourth rulemaking for SURTASS LFA sonar operations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NOAA Fisheries’ proposed regulations and the subsequent Letters of Authorization include required mitigation and monitoring measures that are expected to reduce adverse impacts to marine mammals. The public is invited to comment on the proposed regulations through Regulations.gov <http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D= NOAA-HQ-2017-0037> beginning 4/27/17 for thirty days. Please visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental/ for more information on NOAA’s incidental take program under the MMPA. Thank you, Jonathan Shannon *Outreach Specialist* *NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources*Office: 301-427-8431 jonathan.shan...@noaa.gov <http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/> www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr <http://www.facebook.gov/usnoaafisheriesgov> <http://www.twitter.com/noaafisheries> <http://www.youtube.com/usnoaafisheriesgov>
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