Feds OK whale harassment for delayed Alaska cargo dock
Published Date: 8/14/2026
Notice
Summary
NMFS has received a request from the City of Hoonah (Hoonah) for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the only change being effective dates. The initial IHA authorized take of 8 species (12 stocks) of marine mammals, by harassment only, incidental to construction associated with the Cargo Dock Project in Hoonah, Alaska. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. NMFS is, therefore, issuing a second identical IHA to cover the incidental take analyzed and authorized in the initial IHA.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
IHA Reissued — Dock Construction Allowed
NMFS reissued an identical Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) allowing the City of Hoonah to carry out in-water construction for the cargo dock from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027. The project is intended to let barges land, unload, and load in all tidal conditions and seasons to provide safe, reliable, and economical transport of freight to and from Hoonah, Alaska.
Authorized Take of Eight Marine Mammal Species
The reissued IHA authorizes incidental take by harassment only of 8 marine mammal species (12 stocks) — humpback whale, minke whale, killer whale, Pacific white-sided dolphin, Dall's porpoise, harbor porpoise, harbor seal, and Steller sea lion — during the same construction work from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027. NMFS determined the authorized takes are small in number, will have a negligible impact on the affected species or stocks, and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on subsistence uses.
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