Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 11 / Wednesday, January 18, 2012 / Notices 2513 

potential recordings with suction cup 

sensors or subcutaneous pin electrodes 

on up to 15 individuals of each species 

of cetacean. Research will occur in 

waters or on beaches in the U.S. and in 

rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. over 

a five-year period. No non-target species 

would be affected. 

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. 

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of the 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors. 

Documents may be reviewed in the 

following locations: 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, 

Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone (301) 

427–8401; fax (301) 713–0376; 

Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand 

Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, 

Seattle, WA 98115–0700; phone (206) 

526–6150; fax (206) 526–6426; 

Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 

21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668; phone 

(907) 586–7221; fax (907) 586–7249; 

Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West 

Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, 

CA 90802–4213; phone (562) 980–4001; 

fax (562) 980–4018; 

Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 

Kapiolani Blvd., Room 1110, Honolulu, 

HI 96814–4700; phone (808) 944–2200; 

fax (808) 973–2941; 

Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great 

Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; 

phone (978) 281–9328; fax (978) 281– 

9394; and 

Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th 

Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 

33701; phone (727) 824–5312; fax (727) 

824–5309. 

Dated: January 10, 2012. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–821 Filed 1–17–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA936 

Marine Mammals; File No. 17011 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NHK Enterprises, Inc., Nature & Science 

Programs, 5–20 Kamiyama-cho, Ogawa 

Bldg., Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan has 

applied in due form for a permit to 

conduct commercial or educational 

photography of Eastern North Pacific 

gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) and 

killer whales (Orcinus orca). 

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email 

comments must be received on or before 

February 17, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review 

upon written request or by appointment 

in the following offices: 

Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, 

Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone (301) 

427–8401; fax (301) 713–0376; and 

Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 

21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668; phone 

(907) 586–7221; fax (907) 586–7249. 

Written comments on this application 

should be submitted to the Chief, 

Permits and Conservation Division, at 

the address listed above. Comments may 

also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 

713–0376, or by email to 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please 

include File No. 17011 in the subject 

line of the email comment. 

Those individuals requesting a public 

hearing should submit a written request 

to the Chief, Permits and Conservation 

Division at the address listed above. The 

request should set forth the specific 

reasons why a hearing on this 

application would be appropriate. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joselyd Garcia-Reyes or Laura Morse, 

(301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject permit is requested under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended 

(MMPA; 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) provides for 

photography for educational or 

commercial purposes involving nonendangered and non-threatened marine 

mammals in the wild. 

NHK Enterprises requests a 

photography permit to film gray whale 

and killer whale interactions in the 

Aleutian Islands from Unimak Pass to 

Sand Point, Alaska. Filmmakers plan to 

obtain footage using a 100-ft boat, a 21- 

ft aluminum skiff, and a helicopter. Up 

to 100 gray whales and 300 killer 

whales may be approached and filmed 

during the life of the permit. Species 

that could be incidentally harassed 

during filming activities include: 60 

White-sided dolphins (Lagenorhyncus 

obliquidens), 20 harbor porpoise 

(Phocoena phocoena), 60 harbor seals 

(Phoca vitulina), 40 Northern fur seals 

(Callorhinus ursinus), and 40 Dall’s 

porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli). Filming 

would occur over a one month session 

between April 15th and June 15th. 

Footage would be used to create a film 

that would document the hunting 

behavior of transient killer whales and 

to document the food chain that 

develops from this predation. The film 

would be shared with the Japanese 

public through television broadcast, 

Internet broadcast, and other 

publications (e.g. photographic book), 

and DVD. The permit would be valid for 

five years from the date of issuance. 

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. 

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of the 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors. 

Dated: January 11, 2012. 

Tammy Adams, 

Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–822 Filed 1–17–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XA934 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

for Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in 

the Arctic Ocean 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 


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