oceanpolicy.com

In a report released to Congress this month on the “Improving International Fisheries Management,” NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service identified 31 nations and entities with vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing activities (7) or bycatch of protected species on the high seas.  The report also negatively certified Mexico for continued IUU fishing activities, which [...]

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that it is seeking comments by Thursday, Sept. 30 on its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the review of a construction and operations plan submitted by Sunrise Wind LLC to construct and operate a wind energy facility in federal waters off Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New [...]

In a letter sent today to Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo and NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad, U.S. Sen.’s Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Rep.’s Julie Brownley (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) conveyed support for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary and requested that the designation process be initiated to move the nomination forward.  [...]

The Interior Dept. today announced the decision by the Fish & Wildlife Service to open new or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities on 2.1 million acres spanning 88 National Wildlife Refuges and one National Fish Hatchery, calling it “the largest expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities in recent history” and consistent with the administration’s effort to conserve at least [...]

White House Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Shalanda Young and Office of Science & Technology Policy Director Eric Lander today issued a Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on multi-agency research and development priorities for the FY 2023 budget. Under the priority for “Tackling Climate Change,” among other things the Memorandum calls [...]

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today highlighted a Gulf of Mexico study of deep waters off the U.S. and Mexico involving the recovery and reset of 14 moored underwater listening devices deployed last summer, as well as the deployment of additional devices at new sites. The study is intended to increase understanding of how dolphins and whales [...]

In furtherance of the Biden administration’s “America the Beautiful” initiative to conserve at least 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030, NOAA has announced that it will hold two public listening sessions to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to learn about the initiative and provide input on how the agency should “use existing legal authorities to conserve and [...]

NOAA’s National Ocean Service today announced that it is extending the comment period through Monday, Nov. 22 on its draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (appendices accessible here) analyzing the potential impacts associated with NOAA’s recurring data collection projects to characterize submerged features in U.S. rivers and state and federal waters over the next six years. While the original comment period was [...]

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the construction and operation plan submitted by South Fork Wind, LLC for its proposed wind farm and export cable project offshore Rhode Island. The Final EIS’ proposed action is to approve the construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of [...]

President Biden today nominated Jainey Bavishi to serve as Assistant Sec. of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. Bavishi is currently Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency, and previously served as Associate Dir. For Climate Preparedness at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as NOAA Director of External Affairs and Senior [...]