Upcoming Request for Public Comment on Proposed Incidental Take Regulations for the S

[Lido-Gambler]

Upcoming Request for Public Comment on Proposed Incidental Take Regulations for the Sunrise Wind Offshore Wind Farm Project

From NOAA's recent email. -On Friday February 10, 2023, NOAA Fisheries will open a 30-day public comment period on the proposed incidental take regulations to govern the incidental harassment of marine mammals related to the Sunrise Wind Offshore Wind Farm Project.

The project would be located offshore New York and within the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Wind Energy Area. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, these regulations would govern the “take” of small numbers of marine mammals exposed to elevated underwater noise generated by the project’s activities over a five-year period. NOAA Fisheries has preliminarily determined authorizing the requested take would have a negligible impact on all affected marine mammal species and stocks. The proposed regulations include mandatory mitigation measures that avoid or minimize the impacts of the activities on marine mammals and their habitat as well as monitoring and reporting requirements to better understand those impacts.

Public Comment Period

The public comment period on the proposed regulations will be open for 30 days (February 10- March 13, 2023). Documents associated with this proposed action, including information on how to submit a public comment, will be available on our website.https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/actio...ce=govdelivery

This regulatory action is part of NOAA’s ongoing work to ensure the nation’s deployment of offshore wind energy is done in a manner that avoids and minimizes risks to protected resources, habitats, and managed fisheries.


My Take- so its ok to to "take" whales while exporing offshore wind, with "take" being a fancy word for kill, while on the other hand they enlarge and enforce whale management zones where a boat can not exceed 10 knots-. COMMENT AWAY!! Lido

[Lido-Gambler]

From NJCPO Reports.

Utilizing the Bureau of Law Enforcement's P/V Integrity, several NJ Fish and Wildlife Marine Unit
CPOs participated in a 3-day operation with the National Marine Fisheries Service to detect and deter
Federal violations of 50CFR ? 224.105 - Speed restrictions to protect North Atlantic right whales. The
North Atlantic right whale remains one of the most endangered large whales in the world with an
estimated population of under 400 individuals at the end of 2018. One of the biggest threats to right
whale survival is collisions with vessels. In 2008, the National Marine Fisheries Service implemented a
seasonal mandatory (less than 10 knots) speed rule for vessels over 65' in length in certain areas to
reduce the risk of vessel collisions with right whales. The goal of the operation was to enforce the speed
rule and to educate mariners on its existence. Ships were monitored with a combination of Automatic
Identification Systems (AIS), Mini Automatic Radar Piloting Aid (MARPA) and handheld radar
technology. Officers identified approximately 30 vessels in excess of 65' transiting the speed restriction
zone outside of Delaware Bay but observed no speed rule violations.

[Ol Pedro]

How do we leave comments? Couldn't find a comment section on that site.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Ol Pedro

How do we leave comments? Couldn't find a comment section on that site.

I couldn't find it either but it says the comment period opens today 2/10 so hopefully they update the site in reference here...

[Ol Pedro]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

I couldn't find it either but it says the comment period opens today 2/10 so hopefully they update the site in reference here...

I did their survey and complained about it.

[Gumada]

This is from the BOEM meeting. It seems to be more than a few whales. Which according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act is In direct violation of the act. No threatened or endangered marine mammals can be harassed under any circumstances !

[AndrewT]

https://www.nj.com/news/2023/02/anot...outputType=amp

Another dead whale from all the busy boat traffic traveling way too fast in the dead of winter.