# 2024-31402: Navy Requests Higher Whale-Killing Quota After Ship Strikes

2024-31402, Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the U.S. Navy Training and Testing Activities in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing Study Area, is a Federal Register proposed rule from an unnamed agency published 2025-01-16, effective 2025-01-16 (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31402
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2024-31402
- Title: Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the U.S. Navy Training and Testing Activities in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing Study Area
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: unknown
- Citation: unknown
- Published: 2025-01-16
- Effective: 2025-01-16
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

Navy Requests Higher Whale-Killing Quota After Ship Strikes

## Summary

The U.S. Navy’s training and testing in Hawaii and Southern California might accidentally harm a few large whales. After three whale strikes between 2018 and 2023, the Navy got permission to accidentally harm two more whales by vessel strikes through 2025. This rule keeps Navy activities going while protecting marine mammals, balancing safety and training needs without extra costs.

## Abstract

NMFS, upon request from the U.S. Navy (Navy), issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT) Study Area between 2018 and 2025. In 2021, two separate U.S. Navy vessels struck unidentified large whales on two separate occasions, one whale in June 2021 and one whale in July 2021, in waters off Southern California. The takes by vessel strike of the two whales by the U.S. Navy were covered by the existing regulations and Letters of Authorization (LOAs), which authorize the U.S. Navy to take up to three large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike between 2018 and 2025. The Navy reanalyzed the potential of vessel strike in the HSTT Study Area, including the recent strikes, and as a result, requested two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period. In May 2023, a U.S. Navy vessel struck a large whale in waters off Southern California. NMFS reanalyzed the potential for vessel strike based on new information, including the three strikes, and authorizes two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period (two takes in addition to the three takes authorized in the current regulations). The Navy's activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).

## Effects PRIA read

No economic effects identified for this document.

## Related documents

- [2026-20735](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20735): Extensions of Credit to Insiders, 2026-10-09
- [2026-20790](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20790): Application of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to the Refunded Portion of Certain Federal Refun…, 2026-10-09
- [2026-20721](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20721): Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods: Enforcement Policy for Certain Retail Food Establishments and Restauran…, 2026-10-09
- [2026-20650](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20650): Low-Value Shipments, 2026-10-08
- [2026-20660](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20660): Optional Practical Training Fees, 2026-10-08
- [2026-20677](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20677): Airworthiness Directives; Various Helicopters, 2026-10-08

## Sources
- [2024-31402 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/16/2024-31402/taking-and-importing-marine-mammals-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to-the-us-navy-training-and)
- [2024-31402 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-16/pdf/2024-31402.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-00774, Enhancing Coverage of Preventive Services Under the Affordable Care Act](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00774)
- [Next: 2024-31578, Powered Micromobility Devices](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31578)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31402 (as of 2026-06-11).