[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 60]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-34218]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 122397E]


Marine Mammals

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of revised marine mammal stock 
assessment reports.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has incorporated public comments into revisions of marine 
mammal stock assessment reports. The revision, which was initiated in 
1996 is now complete, and copies of the revised reports are available 
to the public.

ADDRESSES: Printed copies may be obtained by writing to one of the 
following: Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1335 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226, Attn: Stock Assessments; Douglas P. 
DeMaster, Alaska Fisheries Science Center (F/AKC), NMFS, 7600 Sand 
Point Way, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 regarding Alaska regional stock 
assessments; James Lecky, Southwest Regional Office, NMFS, 501 West 
Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213, regarding Pacific regional 
stock assessments; or Gordon Waring, Northeast Fisheries Science 
Center, NMFS, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1097 regarding 
Atlantic regional stock assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas C. Eagle, (301) 713-2322, 
Douglas P. DeMaster, (206) 526-4045 regarding Alaska regional stock 
assessments; James Lecky, (562) 980-4020 regarding Pacific regional 
stock assessments; or Gordon Waring, (508) 495-2000 regarding Atlantic 
regional stock assessments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 117 of the Marine Mammal Protection 
Act (MMPA) requires NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to 
prepare stock assessment reports for all marine mammal stocks that 
occur in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States. These 
reports must contain information regarding the distribution and 
abundance of the stock, population growth rates and trends, estimates 
of annual human-caused mortality from all sources, descriptions of the 
fisheries with which the stock interacts, and the status of the stocks. 
NMFS completed the 1996 draft stock assessment reports and made them 
available for public review and comment on January 21, 1997 (62 FR 
3005). During the public comment period and subsequent to it, NMFS 
consulted extensively with Scientific Review Groups (SRGs), established 
also under the MMPA, to discuss their comments, as well as the comments 
received from the public. The results of the different SRG discussions 
and comments received from the public, conservation organizations, 
state, and other Federal agencies were reviewed and incorporated into 
these final reports as appropriate. The 1996 final marine mammal stock 
assessment reports have now been completed and are available for 
distribution.

    Dated: December 24, 1997.
Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-34218 Filed 12-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F