# 2026-15206: Navy Sonar Gets 7-Year Pass to Zap Marine Mammals Worldwide

2026-15206, Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to U.S. Navy Operations of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active Sonar in the Western and Central North Pacific Ocean and Eastern Indian Ocean, is a Federal Register rule from Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published 2026-07-28, effective 2026-08-12 (as of 2026-08-04).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15206
- As of: 2026-08-04
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-15206
- Title: Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to U.S. Navy Operations of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active Sonar in the Western and Central North Pacific Ocean and Eastern Indian Ocean
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 47664
- Published: 2026-07-28
- Effective: 2026-08-12
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: 0648-BN61
- Last updated: 2026-08-04

## In one line

Navy Sonar Gets 7-Year Pass to Zap Marine Mammals Worldwide

## Summary

NMFS, upon request from the U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy), issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities using Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Low Frequency Active (LFA) sonar systems in the western and central North Pacific and eastern Indian oceans over the course of 7 years from August 2026 through August 2033. These regulations allow for the issuance of a letter of authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during specified activities and timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species and their habitat, and establish requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. The Navy's activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA) and the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2019 (2019 NDAA).

## Effects PRIA read

No economic effects identified for this document.

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## Sources
- [2026-15206 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/28/2026-15206/takes-of-marine-mammals-incidental-to-specified-activities-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to-us)
- [2026-15206 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-07-28/pdf/2026-15206.pdf)

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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15206 (as of 2026-08-04).