Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 30, 2024 / Notices 86319 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE291] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 27984 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

Jooke Robbins, Ph.D., Center for Coastal 

Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, 

Provincetown, MA 02657, has applied 

in due form for a permit to conduct 

research on marine mammals. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before November 29, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review by 

selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public 

Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on 

the Applications and Permits for 

Protected Species home page, https://

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting 

File No. 27984 from the list of available 

applications. These documents are 

available upon written request via email 

to NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. 

Written comments on this application 

should be submitted via email to 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please 

include File No. 27984 in the subject 

line of the email comment. 

Those individuals requesting a public 

hearing should submit a written request 

via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@

noaa.gov. The request should set forth 

the specific reasons why a hearing on 

this application would be appropriate. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Courtney Smith, Ph.D., or Shasta 

McClenahan, Ph.D., (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.), the 

regulations governing the taking and 

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR 

part 216), the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

seq.), and the regulations governing the 

taking, importing, and exporting of 

endangered and threatened species (50 

CFR parts 222–226). 

The applicant proposes to target 

humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae; 

Gulf of Maine stock/West Indies Distinct 

Population Segment) and endangered 

fin (Balaenoptera physalus; Western 

North Atlantic stock) whales for 

research purposes in the Gulf of Maine 

and adjacent waters, and the waters off 

Georgia and Florida. An additional 12 

species of cetaceans and 2 species of 

pinnipeds may be unintentionally 

harassed during research, including 

endangered North Atlantic right 

(Eubalaena glacialis) and sei (B. 

borealis) whales. Marine mammals may 

be approached during vessel surveys for 

photo-identification, photogrammetry, 

underwater photography/videography, 

counts, unmanned aircraft system 

operations, behavioral observations, and 

biological sampling (skin and blubber 

biopsy, feces, and sloughed skin). 

Additionally, samples would be 

imported and exported for analysis and 

the creation of cell lines. See the 

application for complete numbers of 

animals requested by species, age-class, 

and procedure. The objectives of the 

research are to continue the long-term 

study of the biology and ecology of 

humpback and fin whales by examining 

population dynamics, movement and 

habitat use, entanglement and other 

human impacts, molecular genetics, 

aging, toxicology, foraging ecology, 

microbiology, reproduction, and health. 

The permit would be valid for 5 years. 

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: October 24, 2024. 

Amy Sloan, 

Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–25126 Filed 10–25–24; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE386] 

Notice of Availability of a Final 

Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment on the Effects of 

Permitting Translocation of Sturgeon 

for Scientific Research and 

Enhancement Under Section 

10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species 

Act 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of final 

programmatic environmental 

assessment and finding of no significant 

impact. 

SUMMARY: NOAA has prepared a final 

programmatic environmental 

assessment (PEA) and Finding of No 

Significant Impact (FONSI) under the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), as amended, analyzing the 

environmental impacts of the NMFS 

Office of Protected Resources (OPR) 

proposal to authorize directed take 

under the sturgeon Endangered Species 

Act (ESA) permitting program for the 

translocation of shortnose (Acipenser 

brevirostrum) and Atlantic (A. 

oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) sturgeons for 

research and enhancement purposes. 

Based on its finding of no significant 

impact, NMFS has determined that an 

environmental impact statement need 

not be prepared. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin 

Markin, Ph.D., erin.markin@noaa.gov, 

(301) 427–8416; Malcolm Mohead, 

malcolm.mohead@noaa.gov, (301) 427– 

8427. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

This final PEA analyzes the potential 

impacts on the natural and human 

environments for the authorization of 

directed take of sturgeon by 

translocation, in scientific research or 

enhancement permits under section 

10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA, to achieve 

recovery objectives. For the purposes of 

the sturgeon permitting program, 

translocation is the intentional capture, 

holding, handling, transport, and release 

of individuals within a river system 

(e.g., translocation of fish across a dam 

or fish passage) or between river 

systems within the U.S. historical range 

of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon (i.e., 

Maine to Florida). Under the Proposed 

Action, NMFS would authorize directed 


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