630 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 3 / Tuesday, January 6, 2004 / Notices 

Schedule for Document Completion and 

Availability

March 2, 2004: ‘‘Review of 2003 

Ocean Salmon Fisheries’’ and 

‘‘Preseason Report I-Stock Abundance 

Analysis for 2004 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries’’ will be available to the public 

from the Council office and posted on 

the Council website at http://

www.pcouncil.org.

March 23, 2004: ‘‘Preseason Report IIAnalysis of Proposed Regulatory 

Options for 2004 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries’’ and public hearing schedule 

will be mailed to the public and posted 

on the Council website at http://

www.pcouncil.org. The report will 

include a description of the adopted 

salmon management options and a 

summary of their biological and 

economic impacts.

April 5, 2004: ‘‘Draft Environmental 

Assessment for the Proposed 2004 

Management Measures for the Ocean 

Salmon Fishery Managed under the 

Pacific Coast Salmon Plan’’ will be 

available at the Council meeting at the 

Red Lion Hotel Sacramento, 

Sacramento, CA and posted on the 

Council website at http://

www.pcouncil.org.

April 21, 2004: Council adopts ocean 

salmon fishing management measures 

will be posted on the Council website at 

http://www.pcouncil.org.

May 1, 2004: Federal regulations will 

be implemented and ‘‘Preseason Report 

III-Analysis of Council Adopted Ocean 

Salmon Management Measures for 2004 

Ocean Salmon Fisheries’’ will be 

available from the Council office and 

posted on the Council web site at http:/

/www.pcouncil.org.

Meetings and Hearings

January 20–23, 2004: The Salmon 

Technical Team (STT) will meet at the 

Council office in a public work session 

to draft ‘‘Review of 2003 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries’’ and to consider any other 

estimation or methodology issues 

pertinent to the 2004 ocean salmon 

fisheries.

February 17–20, 2004: The STT will 

meet at the Council office in a public 

work session to draft ‘‘Preseason Report 

I-Stock Abundance Analysis for 2004 

Ocean Salmon Fisheries’’ and to 

consider any other estimation or 

methodology issues pertinent to the 

2004 ocean salmon fisheries.

March 8–12, 2004: The Council and 

advisory entities will meet at the 

Sheraton Tacoma Hotel, Tacoma, WA to 

adopt the 2003 salmon management 

options for public review.

March 29–30, 2004: Public hearings 

will be held to receive comments on the 

proposed ocean salmon fishery 

management options adopted by the 

Council. All public hearings begin at 7 

p.m. on the dates and at the locations 

specified here.

March 29, 2004: Chateau Westport, 

Beach Room, 710 W Hancock, Westport, 

WA 98595, telephone 360–268–9101.

March 29, 2004: Red Lion Hotel, 

South Umpqua Room, 1313 N Bayshore 

Drive, Coos Bay, OR 97420, telephone 

541–269–4099.

March 30, 2004: Tradewinds Lodge 

and Restaurant, Convention Room, 400 

South Main Street, Fort Bragg, CA 

95437–4806, telephone 707–964–4761.

April 5–9, 2004: Council and advisory 

entities meet at the Red Lion Hotel 

Sacramento, 1401 Arden Way 

Sacramento, CA 95815, telephone: (916) 

922–8041, to adopt 2004 management 

measures for implementation by NMFS.

April 6, 2004: Testimony on the 

management options is taken during the 

Council meeting at the Red Lion Hotel 

Sacramento, Sacramento, CA.

Although non emergency issues not 

contained in the STT meeting agendas 

may come before the STT for 

discussion, those issues may not be the 

subject of formal STT action during 

these meetings. STT action will be 

restricted to those issues specifically 

listed in this document and to any 

issues arising after publication of this 

document requiring emergency action 

under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act, provided the public 

has been notified of the STT’s intent to 

take final action to address the 

emergency.

Special Accommodations

The meetings are physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Ms. Carolyn Porter 

at 503–820–2280 (voice), or 503–820–

2299 (fax) at least five days prior to the 

meeting date.

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

Dated: December 30, 2003.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 04–231 Filed 1–5–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 122303L]

Marine Mammals; File No. 642–1536

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for 

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Joseph R. Mobley, Jr., Ph.D., Professor 

Psychology, University of Hawaii-West 

Oahu, 96–129 Ala Ike, Pearl City, 

Hawaii 96782 (Principal Investigator: 

Dr. Joe Mobley), has requested an 

amendment to scientific research Permit 

No. 642–1536–00.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments 

must be received on or before February 

5, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The amendment request 

and related documents are available for 

review upon written request or by 

appointment in the following office(s):

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; and

Protected Species Coordinator, Pacific 

Islands Region Office, NMFS, 1601 

Kapiolani Blvd., Rm, 1110, Honolulu, 

HI 96814–4700; phone (808)973–2935; 

fax (808)973–2941.

Written comments or requests for a 

public hearing on this request should be 

submitted 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 amendment 

request would be appropriate.

Comments may also be submitted by 

facsimile at (301)713–0376, provided 

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period. Please note that 

comments will not be accepted by email or other electronic media.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill 

Lewandowski, (301)713–2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject amendment to Permit No. 642–

1536–00, issued on March 15, 2000 (65 

FR 13949) is requested under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended 

(MMPA- 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 3 / Tuesday, January 6, 2004 / Notices 631

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).

Permit No. 642–1536–00 authorizes 

the permit holder to conduct aerial and 

vessel-based research, including surface 

and underwater photography/

videography for fluke identification and 

sex verification, on North Pacific 

humpback whales (Megaptera 

novaeangliae) and several other species 

of cetaceans in Hawaii waters. The 

permit holder now requests 

authorization to add biopsy sampling 

and suction cup/implantable 

bioacoustic tagging of various marine 

mammal species resident to Hawaii, 

including humpback whales, fin whales 

(Balaenoptera physalus), sei whales 

(Balaenoptera borealis), Bryde’s whales 

(Balaenoptera edeni), killer whales 

(Orcinus orca), short-finned pilot 

whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), 

melon-headed whales (Peponocephala 

electra), false killer whales (Pseudorca 

crassidens), spinner dolphins (Stenella 

longirostris), spotted dolphins (Stenella 

attenuata), striped dolphins (Stenella 

coeruleoalba), Risso’s dolphins 

(Grampus griseus), rough-toothed 

dolphins (Steno bredanensis), 

bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops 

truncatus), sperm whales (Physeter 

macrocephalus), pygmy sperm whales 

(Kogia breviceps), dwarf sperm whales 

(Kogia simus), Baird’s beaked whale 

(Berardius bairdii), Cuvier’s beaked 

whales (Ziphius cavirostris), and 

Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon 

densirostris). Specifically, the permit 

holder is requesting 40 tagging takes and 

80 biopsy takes for humpback whales, 5 

tagging takes and 10 biopsy takes for fin, 

sei, Bryde’s, and killer whales, and 20 

tagging takes and 40 biopsy takes for all 

other requested species. Biopsy 

sampling is requested to further study 

the population structure of the above 

species. Bioacoustic tagging is requested 

to record and quantify the various 

acoustic stimuli in the animals’

environment, with a primary objective 

of tagging singing humpback whale 

males to further understand song 

structure and duration. The proposed 

research is requested for the duration of 

the current permit which expires on 

May 31, 2005. All research will take 

place in Hawaiian waters.

NOAA environmental review 

procedures provide that scientific 

research permits are generally 

categorically excluded from the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 

requirements to prepare an 

environmental assessment (EA) or 

environmental impact statement. 

However, given that portions of the 

research are directed at species listed as 

threatened or endangered under the 

ESA, NMFS is currently preparing an 

EA to determine if the proposed 

activities are likely to result in any 

significant impacts to social, economic, 

biological or physical environment 

resources.

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of this 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors.

Dated: December 30, 2003.

Tammy C. Adams, 

Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and 

Education Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 04–232 Filed 1–5–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 122303K]

Marine Mammals; Photography Permit 

File No. 1061–1738

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Joanne Lunt, Wag TV, 2d Leroy House, 

436 Essex Road, London N1 3QP, 

England [Principal Investigator: Joanne 

Lunt] has applied in due form for a 

permit to take Northern elephant seals 

(Mirounga angustirostris) for purposes 

of commercial/educational 

photography.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments 

must be received on or before February 

5, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review 

upon written request or by appointment 

in the following office(s):

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; and

Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West 

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 

CA 90802–4213; phone (562)980–4001; 

fax (562)980–4018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill 

Lewandowski or Jennifer Jefferies 

(301)713–2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject permit is requested under the 

authority of section 104(c)(6) of the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and 

the Regulations Governing the Taking 

and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 

CFR part 216). Section 104(c)(6) of the 

MMPA provides for photography for 

educational or commercial purposes 

involving marine mammals in the wild 

not listed as endangered or threatened. 

NMFS is currently working on proposed 

regulations to implement this provision. 

However, in the meantime, NMFS has 

received and is processing this request 

as a ‘‘pilot’’ application for Level B 

Harassment of non-listed marine 

mammals for photographic purposes.

The applicant specifically proposes to 

take by harassment up to 200 northern 

elephant seals during land-based 

filming activities. The purpose of the 

proposed project is to collect footage of 

mating behavior and also document 

permitted scientists conducting research 

on northern elephant seals. The footage 

will be used to produce a documentary 

on the evolution of sexual behavior that 

will be broadcast on Discovery Channel 

US and Channel 4 UK. Filming 

activities will take place in Point Reyes 

or Ano Nuevo, California. The Permit 

would be valid 1 year after the date of 

issuance with filming currently 

scheduled to take place during February 

2004.

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 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement.

Written comments or requests for a 

public hearing on this application 

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.

Comments may also be submitted by 

facsimile to (301) 713–0376, provided 

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period. Please note that 

comments will not be accepted by email or by other electronic media.

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register,