Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 53 / Friday, March 18, 2011 / Notices 14923 

outside of the limited access Atlantic 

sea scallop DAS regulations at 50 CFR 

648.53(b) and to temporarily retain fish 

that would otherwise be restricted by 

commercial fishing regulations. Any 

fishing activity conducted outside the 

scope of the exempted fishing activity 

would be prohibited. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: March 15, 2011. 

Margo Schulze-Haugen, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6443 Filed 3–17–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA296 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Take of Anadromous Fish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Applications for four new 

scientific research permits. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NMFS has received four scientific 

research permit application requests 

relating to Pacific salmonids. The 

proposed research is intended to 

increase knowledge of species listed 

under the Endangered Species Act 

(ESA) and help guide management and 

conservation efforts. The applications 

may be viewed online at: https:// 

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/ 

preview_open_for_comment.cfm 

DATES: Comments or requests for a 

public hearing on the applications must 

be received at the appropriate address or 

fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later 

than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on 

April 18, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

applications should be sent to the 

Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 

1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, 

Portland, OR 97232–1274. Comments 

may also be sent via fax to 503–230– 

5441 or by e-mail to 

nmfs.nwr.apps@noaa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Garth Griffin, Portland, OR (ph.: 503– 

231–2005, Fax: 503–230–5441, e-mail: 

Garth.Griffin@noaa.gov). Permit 

application instructions are available 

from the address above, or online at 

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov http:// 

www.nwr.noaa.gov./. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice 

The following listed species are 

covered in this notice: 

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus 

tshawytscha): threatened lower 

Columbia River (LCR), Snake River fallrun Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), 

Puget Sound Chinook salmon (O. 

tshawytscha), California Coast Chinook 

salmon (O. tshawytscha). 

Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened 

Columbia River (CR). 

Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened SR. 

Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened 

LCR, threatened Oregon Coast (OC). 

Authority 

Scientific research permits are issued 

in accordance with section 10(a)(1)(A) 

of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq) and 

regulations governing listed fish and 

wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222–226). 

NMFS issues permits based on findings 

that such permits: (1) Are applied for in 

good faith; (2) if granted and exercised, 

would not operate to the disadvantage 

of the listed species that are the subject 

of the permit; and (3) are consistent 

with the purposes and policy of section 

2 of the ESA. The authority to take 

listed species is subject to conditions set 

forth in the permits. 

Anyone requesting a hearing on an 

application listed in this notice should 

set out the specific reasons why a 

hearing on that application would be 

appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such 

hearings are held at the discretion of the 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

NMFS. 

Applications Received 

Permit 16333 

NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries 

Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking a 5- 

year permit to conduct yearly survey 

trawling operations off the West Coast of 

the U.S. The researchers would take 

individuals from all the species covered 

in this notice except for OC coho. The 

purpose of the research is to provide 

fisheries-independent indices of stock 

abundance to support stock assessment 

models for commercially and 

recreationally harvested groundfish 

species. The survey would collect data 

on 90+ fish species in the ocean to 

fulfill the mandates of the MagnusonStevens Sustainable Fisheries Act 

(MSA). The survey would run from May 

through October every year and cover 

the area from the US-Canada border at 

Cape Flattery, Washington to the USMexico border, at depths ranging from 

55 meters to 1,280 meters. The 

objectives of the survey are to: (1) 

Quantify the distribution and relative 

abundance of commercially valuable 

groundfish species, with an emphasis 

on rockfish species of the genus 

Sebastes; (2) obtain biological data 

(length, weight, gender, and maturity) 

from various species of interest; (3) 

collect age structures for species 

covered by MSA fisheries management 

plans; (4) record net mensuration and 

trawl performance data; and (5) collect 

oceanographic data (i.e., surface and 

bottom water temperature, salinity, near 

bottom dissolved oxygen concentration, 

chlorophyll fluorescence, and irradiance 

near bottom). 

The research would benefit listed 

species by increasing our understanding 

of the connections between various 

oceanographic conditions and fish 

survival in the marine environment. 

This greater understanding, in turn, will 

be used to inform future decisions 

regarding listed species management 

and recovery. The researchers do not 

intend to kill any listed fish, but a few 

may die as an inadvertent result of the 

proposed activities. 

Permit 16335 

The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year 

permit to conduct biennial acoustic 

surveys of Pacific hake along the West 

Coast of the U.S. during odd-numbered 

years. The researchers would take 

individuals from all species covered in 

this notice except for SR steelhead. The 

age-specific estimates of total 

population abundance derived from the 

surveys are a key data source for the 

joint U.S.-Canada Pacific hake stock 

assessments and, ultimately, are critical 

to informing decisions about U.S., 

Tribal, and international harvest levels. 

This integrated acoustic and trawl 

survey is used to assess the distribution, 

biology, and status and trends in 

abundance of Pacific hake. The survey 

would be conducted from June to 

September; it would target aggregations 

of Pacific hake along the continental 

shelf and break. The survey would 

extend from Monterey, California to 

Dixon Entrance, Alaska, in depths from 

about 50 meters to 1,500 meters. The 

NWFSC is seeking authorization for the 

U.S. portion of the survey. The goal of 

the survey is to obtain representative 

catches of acoustically-detected 

organisms. 

The research would benefit listed 

species by helping make the West Coast 

hake fishery more specific to the target 

species and thereby reducing bycatch of 

other species. The researchers do not 

intend to kill any listed fish, but a few 

may die as an inadvertent result of the 

proposed activities. 


Emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
14924 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 53 / Friday, March 18, 2011 / Notices 

Permit 16337 

The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year 

permit to conduct Pacific hake Acoustic 

Inter-vessel Calibration (IVC) research 

and gear trial cruises along the West 

Coast of the U.S. to make hake stock 

assessment and improve hake biomass 

estimates. The researchers would take 

individuals from all species covered in 

this notice except for OC coho and SR 

steelhead. The goals of the IVC research 

are to: (1) Compare acoustic estimates 

for hake between two vessels; (2) 

research acoustic differentiation 

between hake and Humboldt squid 

(Dosidicus gigas); and (3) confirm that 

groundtruthing tows (mid-water and 

bottom trawls) are adequately 

characterizing schools of hake. The IVC 

research would take place in the ocean 

from a point off the Strait of Juan de 

Fuca, Washington down to the central 

Oregon coast. If hake and Humboldt 

squid are not present at the time of the 

study, the cruise may extend to the 

south until they are found or until the 

vessels reach a point 100 nautical miles 

south of Monterey Bay, California. The 

IVC research would be conducted in 

June and July. The goal of the gear trial 

cruises is to test new equipment and 

methods to ensure that the best 

available science is used when 

conducting the biennial hake survey. 

The gear trial cruises would take place 

from August through September and 

would extend from Monterey, California 

to Dixon Entrance, Alaska, in depths 

from about 50 meters to 1,500 meters. 

The proposed research would benefit 

listed species by generating information 

that, ultimately, will be used to help 

reduce the number of listed fish being 

accidentally caught in the hake fishery. 

The researchers do not intend to kill any 

listed fish, but a few may die as an 

inadvertent result of the proposed 

activities. 

Permit 16338 

The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year 

permit to test the efficacy of an open 

escape window bycatch reduction 

device to reduce Chinook salmon and 

rockfish bycatch in the Pacific hake 

fishery. The proposed activities would 

be conducted from May to September 

off the Central Oregon coast and, 

although it is unlikely, sampling may 

also occur off the coasts of Washington 

and northern California. All research 

tows would take place over the 

continental shelf and slope in depths of 

less than 1,000 meters; all captured fish 

would be identified, and some would be 

retained for the scientific analyses 

necessary for the research. 

The research would benefit listed 

species by helping develop fishing 

methods and equipment that allow 

large-scale fisheries (like the hake 

fishery) to catch fewer threatened and 

endangered fish. The researchers do not 

intend to kill any listed fish, but a few 

may die as an inadvertent result of the 

proposed activities. 

This notice is provided pursuant to 

section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS will 

evaluate the applications, associated 

documents, and comments submitted to 

determine whether the applications 

meet the requirements of section 10(a) 

of the ESA and Federal regulations. The 

final permit decisions will not be made 

until after the end of the 30-day 

comment period. NMFS will publish 

notice of its final action in the Federal 

Register. 

Dated: March 15, 2011. 

Angela Somma, 

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office 

of Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–6441 Filed 3–17–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA244 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Russian River 

Estuary Management Activities 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental 

harassment authorization; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS has received an 

application from the Sonoma County 

Water Agency (SCWA) for an Incidental 

Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take 

marine mammals incidental to Russian 

River estuary management activities. 

Pursuant to the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is 

requesting comments on its proposal to 

issue an IHA to SCWA to take, by Level 

B Harassment only, several species of 

marine mammals during the specified 

activity. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than April 18, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on the 

application should be addressed to 

Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East 

West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 

20910. The mailbox address for 

providing e-mail comments is 

ITP.Laws@noaa.gov. NMFS is not 

responsible for e-mail comments sent to 

addresses other than the one provided 

here. Comments sent via e-mail, 

including all attachments, must not 

exceed a 10-megabyte file size. 

Instructions: All comments received 

are a part of the public record and will 

generally be posted to http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm without change. All 

Personal Identifying Information (e.g., 

name, address) voluntarily submitted by 

the commenter may be publicly 

accessible. Do not submit Confidential 

Business Information or otherwise 

sensitive or protected information. 

A copy of the application containing 

a list of the references used in this 

document may be obtained by writing to 

the address specified above, telephoning 

the contact listed below (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), or 

visiting the Internet at: http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ 

incidental.htm. Supplemental 

documents provided by SCWA may also 

be found at the same address: Pinniped 

Monitoring Plan; Report of Activities 

and Monitoring Results—April 1 to 

December 31, 2010; and Russian River 

Estuary Outlet Channel Adaptive 

Management Plan. NMFS’ 

Environmental Assessment (2010) and 

associated Finding of No Significant 

Impact, prepared pursuant to the 

National Environmental Policy Act, are 

available at the same site. Documents 

cited in this notice, including NMFS’ 

Biological Opinion (2008) on the effects 

of Russian River management activities 

on salmonids, may also be viewed, by 

appointment, during regular business 

hours, at the aforementioned address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ben 

Laws, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, (301) 713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the 

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct 

the Secretary of Commerce to allow, 

upon request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made and either regulations are 

issued or, if the taking is limited to 

harassment, a notice of a proposed 

authorization is published in the 

Federal Register to provide public 


Emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES