Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys in the Gulf of America

Document 2026-07536 is a Final Rule published by the Department of Commerce in the Federal Register on April 17, 2026, with an effective date of April 20, 2026. In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS promulgates regulations to govern the incidental taking of marine mammals during geophysical survey activity conducted in the Gulf of America (GOA), over the course of 5 years. These regulations, which allow for the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOA) to survey operators for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframe, 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, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/17/2026-07536/taking-and-importing-marine-mammals-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to-geophysical-surveys-in-the.

No. Document 2026-07536 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.