Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Northern Sea Otters During Specified Activities; Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak, Alaska

Document 2026-05976 is a Final Rule published by the Department of Interior in the Federal Register on March 27, 2026, with an effective date of March 27, 2026. In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, and its implementing regulations, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, finalize incidental take regulations that facilitate the authorization of nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take by harassment of small numbers of northern sea otters during marine construction and pile driving in Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak, Alaska. Incidental take of northern sea otters may result from in-water noise generated during pile driving and marine construction activities. This rule is effective for 5 years from the date of issuance. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/27/2026-05976/marine-mammals-incidental-take-of-northern-sea-otters-during-specified-activities-seward-sitka-and.

No. Document 2026-05976 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.