[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 26, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24456-24457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10385]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 041200B]


Incidental Take of Marine Mammals; Taking of Ringed Seals 
Incidental to On-ice Seismic Activities

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of a letter of authorization.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as 
amended, and with implementing regulations, notification is hereby 
given that a letter of authorization (LOA) to take ringed and bearded 
seals incidental to an on-ice shallow-water seismic survey in the 
Beaufort Sea off Alaska was issued on April 20, 2000, to Western 
Geophysical of Anchorage, AK.

DATES: This letter of authorization is effective from April 20, 2000, 
through May 31, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The application letters and LOA are available for review in 
the

[[Page 24457]]

following offices: Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, and Western Alaska Field Office, 
NMFS, 701 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99513.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Hollingshead, NMFS, (301) 
713-2055, ext 128 or Brad Smith, Western Alaska Field Office, NMFS, 
(907) 271-5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 
1361 et seq.) directs NMFS to allow, on 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 by NMFS and regulations are issued. Under the MMPA, the term 
``taking'' means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill or to attempt to 
harass, hunt, capture or kill marine mammals.
    Permission may be granted for periods up to 5 years if NMFS finds, 
after notification and opportunity for public comment, that the taking 
will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s) of marine 
mammals and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the 
availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses. In 
addition, NMFS must prescribe regulations that include permissible 
methods of taking and other means effecting the least practicable 
adverse impact on the species and its habitat and on the availability 
of the species for subsistence uses, paying particular attention to 
rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar significance. The 
regulations must include requirements pertaining to the monitoring and 
reporting of such taking. Regulations governing the taking of ringed 
and bearded seals incidental to on-ice seismic surveys were published 
on February 2, 1998 (63 FR 5277), and remain in effect until December 
31, 2002.

Summary of Request

    NMFS received requests for letters of authorization from Western 
Geophysical on September 23, 1999, and October 14, 1999. LOAs for these 
activities were issued on January 28, 2000 (see 65 FR 4949, February 2, 
2000). A third application from Western Geophysical was received on 
January 31, 2000, and amended by letter on February 21, 2000. The 
letters requested a take by mortality, injury, and harassment of a 
small number of ringed seals incidental to conducting shallow-water 
seismic surveys on the ice in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska.
    Issuance of this new letter of authorization is based on findings 
that the total takings by this activity will have a negligible impact 
on the ringed seal stocks of the Western Beaufort Sea and that the 
applicants have met the requirements contained in the implementing 
regulations, including monitoring and reporting requirements.

    Dated: April 20, 2000.
Donald R. Knowles,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-10385 Filed 4-25-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F