NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced a final rule authorizing the unintentional take of marine mammals incidental to oil and gas-related geophysical surveys in federal waters in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Effective April 19, 2021 for five years, the rule allows for the issuance of Letters of Authorization to authorize incidental take, prescribes permissible taking methods and other means of achieving the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species/stocks and their habitat, and identifies monitoring and reporting requirements.
NMFS Issues Final Rule on Gulf of Mexico Geophysical Surveys
