Federal Consistency Determinations have been submitted to the Delaware Coastal Management Program for the following:

Dolphin & Wahoo Amendment 12 FMP (2021.0017)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service proposes to promulgate a new rule to implement Amendment 12 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic (Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 12). Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 12 would add bullet mackerel and frigate mackerel to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic and designate them as ecosystem component species.

Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan (2021.0020)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service proposes amendments to the Atlantic Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan to reduce commercial fishery interactions with short-finned pilot whales through regulatory and non-regulatory actions. The regulatory actions include: (1) removal of the Cape Hatteras Special Research Area offshore of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; (2) a modification of mainline length requirements for pelagic longline sets in the U.S. exclusive economic zone portion of the Mid-Atlantic Bight; and (3) implementation of terminal gear requirements (hooks and gangions) in the exclusive economic zone portion of the Florida East Coast, South Atlantic Bight, Mid-Atlantic Bight and Northeast Coastal fishing areas. The non-regulatory actions include: (1) convening a safe handling and release work group to develop potential updates to the current safe handling and release protocols for marine mammal interactions in the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery and (2) updating observer protocols and fishery observer forms to increase information collected from marine mammal interaction and depredation events in the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery.

Comments concerning these Federal Consistency Determinations will be accepted for 20 days from the date of this notice. Comments may be sent to: Delaware Coastal Programs, Ms. Kimberly Cole, Administrator, 100 W. Water Street, Suite 7B, Dover, DE, 19904, or electronically to DNREC_DCP_PublicComment@delaware.gov. For additional information please call (302) 739-9283.

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