NOAA Fisheries is proposing to issue seven-year regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the incidental take of marine mammals by the U.S. Navy’s training activities in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Study Area from December 2022 through December 2029. These regulations authorize take of individuals of 16 species of marine mammals by Level A harassment and Level B harassment incidental to the Navy’s training activities from the use of sonar and other transducers and in-air detonations at or near the surface (within 10 m above the water surface). No mortality or serious injury and no Level A harassment from non-auditory tissue damage is anticipated or proposed for authorization. You can access the proposed rule at: *https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/11/2022-16509/taking-and-i... <https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/11/2022-16509/taking-and-importing-marine-mammals-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to-the-us-navy-training>*. NOAA Fisheries’ proposed regulations would require mitigation and monitoring measures that are expected to reduce adverse impacts to marine mammals. NOAA Fisheries and the Navy have worked together to develop a comprehensive suite of mitigation measures including procedural mitigations that reduce the likelihood of mortality, injury, hearing impairment, and more severe behavioral responses for most species, as well as time/area mitigation that further protect areas where marine mammals conduct important behaviors and/or sensitive species congregate, which reduces the likelihood of takes that are likely to impact reproduction or survival. Overall, NOAA Fisheries and the Navy have developed adaptive management and a robust monitoring plan specifically for these training activities to help better understand the effects of Navy activities on protected marine species. Please visit *https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/incidental-take-authorizations-under-m... <https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/incidental-take-authorizations-under-marine-mammal-protection-act> for more information on NOAA’s incidental take program under the MMPA. [image: image.png] Geographic Mitigation Areas for Marine Mammals in the GOA Study Area -- *Leah Davis *(she/her/hers) Marine Resources Management Specialist, Office of Protected Resources NOAA Fisheries | U.S. Department of Commerce Office: (301) 427- 8431 www.fisheries.noaa.gov
