# 2026-16367: Feds OK 'Harassing' Sea Otters for Alaska Harbor Work

2026-16367, Marine Mammals; Incidental Take During Specified Activities; Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization for Southwest Alaska Stock of Northern Sea Otters in Unalaska, Alaska, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service published 2026-08-11, effective Comments must be received by September 10, 2026.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16367
- As of: 2026-08-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-16367
- Title: Marine Mammals; Incidental Take During Specified Activities; Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization for Southwest Alaska Stock of Northern Sea Otters in Unalaska, Alaska
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service
- Citation: 91 FR 51728
- Published: 2026-08-11
- Effective: Comments must be received by September 10, 2026.
- Comments close: 2026-09-10
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-18

## In one line

Feds OK 'Harassing' Sea Otters for Alaska Harbor Work

## Summary

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from the City of Unalaska, propose to authorize incidental take by harassment of small numbers of Southwest Alaska stock northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) for a period of up to 1 year from the date of issuance. The applicant has requested this authorization for take by harassment that may result from activities associated with pile driving and marine construction at the Robert Storrs Harbor in Unalaska, Alaska. This proposed authorization, if finalized, would be for incidental take by Level A harassment and Level B harassment of northern sea otters from the Southwest Alaska stock. We invite comments on the proposed incidental harassment authorization and the accompanying draft environmental assessment from the public, Tribes, and local, State, and Federal agencies.

## Effects PRIA read

- FWS proposes 1‑year sea otter IHA: cost, low. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to authorize incidental take by harassment of small numbers of Southwest Alaska northern sea otters for a period of up to 1 year from the date of issuance. The proposed take would be from pile driving and marine construction at Robert Storrs Harbor in Una…
- Estimated harassment counts for sea otters: cost, low. The FWS estimated specific harassment event counts for the project: Level A harassment events rounded to totals by activity (examples include 2 events for demolition, 8 for impact pile installation, and 15 for rock‑socket installation) and Level B harassment estimates that include a large component…
- Operational mitigation requirements for project: cost, low. Project operators must follow mitigation measures during construction, including a 10‑meter (33 ft) physical interaction shutdown zone around sea otters and maintaining a minimum vessel distance of 100 meters (328 ft) from all sea otters. Pile‑driving activities are limited to up to 100 non‑consecu…
- Subsistence uses: no significant overlap expected: mixed, low. The FWS states the planned project area does not significantly overlap current subsistence sea otter harvest areas within Unalaska city limits and does not anticipate precluding access to hunting areas. The agency will conduct outreach with potentially affected communities and the City of Unalaska…

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## Sources
- [2026-16367 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/11/2026-16367/marine-mammals-incidental-take-during-specified-activities-proposed-incidental-harassment)
- [2026-16367 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-11/pdf/2026-16367.pdf)

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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16367 (as of 2026-08-18).