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Marine Mammals; Permits 781-1666 and 782-1645-01
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: April 25, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 80)]
[Notices]
[Page 20491]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25ap02-23]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 041702A]
Marine Mammals; Permits 781-1666 and 782-1645-01
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Receipt of Application No. 781-1666 and receipt of application
to amend Permit No. 782-1645.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following actions regarding
permits for takes of marine mammal species for the purposes of
scientific research: NMFS has received a permit application from NMFS,
Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E, Seattle, WA
98112-2097 (Dr. Cynthia Tynan, Principal Investigator) (Application No.
781-1666), and NMFS has received an application for a permit amendment
from NMFS, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way,
N.E., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (Dr. Robert DeLong, Principal
Investigator) (Permit No. 782-1645).
DATES: Written or telefaxed comments on the new application or
amendment request must be received on or before May 28, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the new application or amendment request
should be sent to the appropriate office as indicated below. Comments
may also be sent via fax to the number indicated for the application or
amendment request. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-
mail or the internet. The application and related documents are
available for review upon written request or by appointment in the
following office(s):
For permits 781-1666, 782-1645-01: Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600
Sand Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone
(206)526-6150; fax (206)526-6426;
For permit 781-1666: Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd.,
Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax
(562)980-4018; and
Documents may also be reviewed by appointment in the Permits
Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910;
phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)713-0376.
Written comments or requests for a public hearing on these
applications should be mailed to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and
Education Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315
East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those
individuals requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons
why a hearing on this particular request would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Johnson or Carrie Hubard, (301)
713-2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit and permit amendment are
requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of
1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Regulations
Governing the Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216),
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.), the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting
of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-227), and the
Fur Seal Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
For Application No. 781-1666, the applicant requests permission to
conduct shipboard line-transect surveys of marine mammals in U.S.
waters of the North Pacific. The applicant proposes to take various
species of cetaceans and five species of pinnipeds via harassment
during photo-identification from small boats or larger research
vessels, line-transect surveys from ships, and collection of prey near
cetaceans. Cetacean prey will be collected via dip nets and towed
zooplankton nets. The goal of this research is to provide temporal
(seasonal) and spatial (mesoscale and fine-scale) variability in
euphasiid and forage fish occurrence patterns necessary to identify the
important bio-physcial linkages between top-predator distributions and
the density and availability of their prey. Line-transect data will
also provide updated abundance estimates.
For amendment to permit 782-1645-00: The permit authorizes the
Holder to take up to 15 harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) annually
(not to exceed 75 over a 5-year period) in the waters of Oregon and
Washington, attach radio-telemetry devices to monitor the movements of
tagged animals relative to current stock boundaries, and to collect
blubber biopsies to determine organochlorine contaminant burdens.
The Holder now proposes to capture up to 10 Dall's porpoise
(Phocoenoides dalli) annually in Oregon and Washington, attach radio-
telemetry devices and biopsy sample to investigate three hypotheses:
(1) duration of tag attachment is associated with tag attachment
configuration; (2) differences exist between sex and age classes of
Dall's porpoise in the timing or extent of seasonal migrations from
inland WA waters; and (3) Dall's porpoise primarily occupy and utilize
deeper regions of transboundary waters.
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that
the activities proposed are categorically excluded from the requirement
to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact
statement.
Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application and amendment
request to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific
Advisors.
Dated: April 19, 2002.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-10209 Filed 4-24-02; 8:45 am]
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