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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 188 (Monday, September 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 50907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25776]

[[Page 50907]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. No. 092497B]

Marine Mammals; Permits (758-1431 and 1024)

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

ACTION: Receipt of application for permit and amendment to permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. Kimberlee Beckmen, Institute 
of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, 
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, has applied for a permit to take Northern fur 
seals (Callorhinus ursinus), and the Southwest Fisheries Science 
Center, NMFS, P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038-0271, has applied for 
amendment to Permit No. 1024 to take Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus 
gazella) for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before 
October 29, 1997.
ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment (see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION):
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on these 
applications should be mailed to the Chief, Permits and Documentation 
Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals 
requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons why a 
hearing on these particular requests 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.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of these applications to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

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), and the Fur Seal Act 
of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    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.
    (758-1431) - Dr. Kimberlee Beckmen requests a permit to vaccinate 
two captive female Northern fur seals with a benign antigen, Fort Dodge 
tetanus toxoid, in order to elicit an antibody response (produce 
immunoglobulin). The immunoglobulin will be purified from the serum and 
used to validate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The 
ELISA will then be used to determine the antibody levels in frozen fur 
seal serum samples previously collected from free-ranging pups 
vaccinated with the same benign antigen. The research will provide a 
determination of the effects of environmental contaminants.
    P772#69 - The Southwest Fisheries Science Center requests to amend 
section A.3. of Permit No. 1024 and to increase the number of animals 
taken annually. Permit No. 1024 authorizes: Level B harassment on 
southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina), Antarctic fur seals 
(Arctocephalus gazella), crabeater seals (Hydrurga leptonyx), Weddell 
seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), and Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) 
annually during census surveys on Sea Island and Cape Shirreff; 
capture, handle and mark up to 105 A. gazella pups annually at Cape 
Shirreff, of which 100 would also be tagged with monel tags; section 
A.3. authorizes capture up to 50 perinatal female A. gazella and their 
pups. The females may be tagged and instrumented with TDRs and/or 
transmitters and recaptured to remove instruments, and the pups are 
authorized to be bleach marked and handled. Further, up to 110 pups may 
be collected on Seal Island and marked, handled and released; and 
samples, parts or whole specimens obtained from dead animals may be 
imported. The permit also authorizes the accidental mortality of one 
animal annually. The permittee now requests to amend A.3 by collecting 
one milk sample from 40 of the 50 perinatal females, and tagging and 
handling 40 of the 50 pups.
    The permittee also wishes to increase the number animals to be 
taken in three additional studies. These studies are: Adult female 
foraging location and energetics, 40 female/pup pairs; pup energetics, 
100 pups; and long-term tagging, 1000 pups.
    For the adult female foraging location and energetics study, up to 
40 adult females will be captured per year and tagged, instrumented 
with transmitters, anesthetized with diazepam and milk-sampled (up to 3 
times, which includes injection of 5 I.U. oxytocin), given an enema, 
injected with tritiated water and oxygen-18 (90g isotopes), injected 
with Evan's Blue (1.5cc), and blood sampled (up to 4 times). Up to 40 
pups will be captured per year and: tagged, bleach marked, gastrically 
intubated and lavaged, injected/intubated with 200g of doubly-labeled 
water (DLW), and blood sampled up to 3 times.
    For the pup energetics study 100 pups will be captured, tagged, and 
bleached marked. Of these 100 pups, 30 pups will be: captured (9 
additional times) gastrically lavaged and intubated (3 times), 
injected/intubated with 200g DLW (3 times), injected with 0.5cc Evan's 
Blue (3 times), and blood sampled (15 times).
    For the long-term tagging study, the permittee requests to tag up 
to 1000 pups.
    Additionally, the permittee requests to incidentally harass: up to 
128 southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina), 3468 Antarctic fur 
seals (Arctocephalus gazella), 2 crabeater seals (Hydrurga leptonyx), 
16 Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), and 2 leopard seals 
(Hydrurga leptonyx); and accidentally kill up to 2 adults and 2 pups A. 
gazella during the conduct of these activities.
    Addresses: Applications and related documents are available in the 
following offices:
    Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/
713-2289);
    (758-1431) - Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, BIN 
C15700, Bldg., 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (206/526-6150);
    Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-2166 (907/
586-7221); and
    (P772#69) - Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310/980-4001).

    Dated: September 24, 1997
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-25776 Filed 9-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
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