[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 213 (Thursday, November 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68161-68162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28550]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA626
Marine Mammals; File Nos. 16163, 16160, and 15569
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of applications.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Northwest Fisheries Science
Center (NWFSC, Dr. M. Bradley Hanson, Principal Investigator) [File No.
16163], 2725 Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112-2097; The Whale
Museum (Jenny Atkinson, Responsible Party) [File No. 16160], PO Box
945, Friday Harbor, WA 98250; and The Center for Whale Research (CWR;
Kenneth C. Balcomb III, Responsible Party) [File No. 15569], PO Box
1577, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, have applied in due form for permits to
conduct research on marine mammals.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or
before December 5, 2011.
ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File
No. 16163, 16160, 16111, and 15569 from the list of available
applications.
These documents are also available upon written request or by
appointment in the following offices: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Written comments on these applications should be submitted to the
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, at the address listed above.
Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or by
email to [email protected]. Please include the File No. in the
subject line of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a
written request to the Chief, Permits and Conservation Division at the
address listed above. The request should set forth the specific reasons
why a hearing on this application would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The following Analysts at (301) 427-
8401: Joselyd Garcia-Reyes [for File No. 16160]; Laura Morse [for File
No. 16163]; and Jennifer Skidmore [for File Nos. 15569, 16160, 16163].
[[Page 68162]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permits 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.), and the
regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222-226).
Each application is summarized below. For specific take numbers of
each species, please refer to the associated application.
File No. 16163: Northwest Fisheries Science Center, requests a
permit to conduct scientific research on thirty seven species of
cetaceans and unidentified mesoplodon and baleen species in all U.S.
and international waters in the Pacific Ocean, including waters of
Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. Seven of the 37
species to be targeted for research are listed as endangered or have a
stock listed as endangered: blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), fin
whale (B. physalus), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), North
Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica), sei whale (B. borealis),
killer whale (Orcinus orca) Southern Resident stock, and sperm whale
(Physeter macrocephalus). The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)
Hawaiian insular stock is proposed for listing under the ESA. Seven
species of pinnipeds may be incidentally harassed from research
activities, including three species listed as endangered: Steller sea
lions (Eumetopias jubatus), Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus
townsendi), and Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi). The
purposes of the proposed research are to study: (1) Abundance,
population structure, social organization, fecundity, and mortality;
(2) Distribution, seasonal movements, and habitat use; (3) Responses to
anthropogenic impacts; (4) Health assessment including contaminant
burdens, breath and fecal borne pathogens; and (5) Prey availability
including prey selection and energetics. Harassment of all species of
cetaceans may occur through vessel approach for sighting surveys,
photographic identification, behavioral research, opportunistic
sampling (breath, sloughed skin, fecal material, and prey remains),
acoustic imaging with echosounders, and aerial surveys. Twenty seven
cetacean species and unidentified mesoplodon species would be biopsied,
dart, and/or suction-cup tagged. Ultrasound sampling would be directed
at killer whales including the Southern Resident stock. Active acoustic
playback studies would be directed at Southern Resident killer whales.
Import and export of marine mammal prey specimens, sloughed skin, fecal
and breath samples obtained is requested for research purposes.
Research would occur over a five-year period.
File No. 16160: The Whale Museum requests a five year permit to
study marine mammals in the inland waters of Washington State. The
purpose of the proposed research is to monitor and record vessel
activities around marine mammal species routinely encountered by
commercial and recreational vessels. This research would contribute to
a long-term data set (Orca Master) that has provided critical
information on characterizing annual vessel trends around Southern
Resident killer whales and an evaluation of the effectiveness of
federal, state and local marine wildlife guidelines and regulations
through the Soundwatch program. Research methods would include close
vessel approach for photo-identification, behavioral observation, and
monitoring. The main focus species are killer whales from the Southern
Resident stock. Additionally, Pacific white-sided dolphins
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli),
harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), eastern gray whale (Eschrichtius
robustus), humpback whale, killer whale, and minke whale (B.
acutorostrata) may be harassed.
File No. 15569: The Center for Whale Research requests a five-year
permit to continue research currently authorized under Permit No. 532-
1822-02 with the goal of determining the population size and structure
of the ESA-listed Southern Resident killer whales and other ecotypes of
killer whales throughout their range in the Eastern North Pacific
Ocean. The core area of research will be the inland marine waters of
Washington State, but the study area will opportunistically include the
wider area of the coastal eastern North Pacific from the southern
boundary of California to Alaskan waters east of Kodiak Island,
including all territorial waters up to 200 nautical miles offshore.
Research methods would primarily involve photo-identification of
individuals and behavioral observations, but other benign techniques
such as fecal sampling and prey sampling in trail of whales, remote
measuring (aerial and laser techniques), and passive acoustic recording
will be conducted. Other non-target species that may be
opportunistically taken include 17 cetacean species and four pinnipeds
species. Those species that are listed as endangered include the blue
whale, fin whale, sei whale, humpback whale, and North Pacific right
whale, in addition to the threatened eastern stock of Steller sea
lions.
A draft environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared in
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), to examine whether significant environmental
impacts could result from issuance of the proposed scientific research
permits. The draft EA is available for review and comment simultaneous
with the scientific research permit applications.
Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the application to the Marine
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.
Documents May Be Reviewed in the Following Locations
Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910;
phone (301) 713-2289; fax (301) 427-2521;
Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Bldg.
1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone (206) 526-6150; fax (206) 526-6426;
Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone
(907) 586-7221; fax (907) 586-7249;
Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018; and
Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110,
Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808) 973-2935; fax (808) 973-2941.
Dated: October 28, 2011.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-28550 Filed 11-2-11; 8:45 am]
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