Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Fisheries Research

NMFS has received a request from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to fisheries research in the coastal bays of Texas, over the course of 5 years from the issuance of a final rule and Letter of Authorization (LOA). Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS proposes regulations setting forth permissible methods of taking, other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on such marine mammal stocks (i.e., mitigation measures), and requirements pertaining to monitoring and reporting such takes, and requests comments on the proposed regulations. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested MMPA regulations, and NMFS' responses to public comments will be summarized in the final rule announcing our decision.