88736 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 217 / Friday, November 8, 2024 / Notices 

northern-fur-seal#conservationmanagement. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael Williams, NMFS Alaska 

Region, 907–271–5117, 

michael.williams@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Eastern Pacific (formerly Pribilof) 

stock of northern fur seals was 

designated as depleted under the 

MMPA on June 17, 1988, because the 

population had declined by over 50 

percent from the highest population 

levels estimated in the 1950s (53 FR 

17888, May 18, 1988). Consistent with 

the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1383b(b)), NMFS 

developed a Conservation Plan to 

conserve and restore the stock to its 

optimum sustainable population, which 

is defined as a population size within a 

range of population sizes from the 

largest supportable within the 

ecosystem (i.e., carrying capacity) to a 

level that results in maximum net 

productivity (50 CFR 216.3). NMFS first 

published a Conservation Plan in 1993, 

followed by a revised version in 2007. 

In 2023, NMFS published a revised draft 

Conservation Plan and invited public 

comment (88 FR 38010, June 12, 2023). 

The 2024 revised Conservation Plan 

includes updated knowledge of threats, 

trends, and ecology of the Eastern 

Pacific stock of northern fur seals. 

Specifically, it summarizes advances in 

our understanding of pup production, 

pup mortality, pup mass, diet 

estimation, diving characterization, and 

use of Bering Sea marine foraging areas 

and foraging trip duration by the five 

rookery complexes on the Pribilof 

Islands. The Plan discusses critical 

information gaps, conservation actions 

and initiatives completed since the 2007 

Conservation Plan as well as those that 

are ongoing or should be prioritized in 

future, and research and management 

actions intended to promote the 

conservation and restoration of the 

stock. The shared resources and 

cooperative involvement of Federal, 

State, and Tribal governments, Alaska 

Native people and Alaska Native 

Organizations, industry, academia, and 

non-governmental organizations will be 

needed throughout the period necessary 

to restore the stock. 

Overall, the stock has continued to 

decline about 2 percent per year since 

the depleted designation, and 

differences exist in trends in abundance 

and habitat use for St. Paul, St. George, 

and Bogoslof islands and their 

associated rookery complexes. 

Preliminary estimates of age class 

survival rates since 2010 are similar for 

both St. Paul and St. George islands; 

however, since trends in abundance are 

significantly different (i.e., declining on 

St. Paul and increasing on St. George) 

our assumptions regarding site fidelity, 

emigration, and detection appear biased, 

and we are investigating whether rates 

of emigration are higher than previously 

assumed. Improved estimates of fur seal 

consumption of commercially important 

prey like pollock, and age-specific 

growth and bioenergetics of northern fur 

seals have increased the ability of 

ecosystem models to improve our 

understanding of fur seal population 

dynamics and how changes in prey 

abundance and distribution may be 

affecting population trends. Based on 

these recent model results, it is 

estimated that the northern fur seal 

population is one of the top four natural 

predators of pollock biomass and 

consumes both 0–2 year old and 3+ year 

old pollock. The new information 

presented regarding the separation of 

marine foraging habitat in the Bering 

Sea by fur seals and the differential 

consumption of pollock, squid, and 

other species based on this separation 

suggests there are opportunities to 

further investigate the indirect effects of 

fisheries on northern fur seals from the 

five rookery complexes identified on the 

Pribilof Islands. The extent of 

competition with the pollock fisheries is 

uncertain due to the spatial segregation 

of foraging fur seals among the five 

rookery complexes and in-season 

changes in the distribution of various 

segments of the commercial pollock 

fleet. NMFS intends to work with other 

interested parties to evaluate existing 

northern fur seal foraging and life 

history data as well as existing 

information on fisheries to assess 

observed variation in population trends 

among foraging complexes and guide 

decisions about new research related to 

the indirect effects of fishing. New 

ecosystem models are being developed 

to advance ecosystem-based fisheries 

management and are expected to 

include consumption of important 

commercial fish species by northern fur 

seals. 

Another notable revision to this Plan 

is the reflection of recent subsistence 

use regulation changes and the 

evolution of co-management 

relationships between NMFS and Tribes 

in the Pribilofs. The Plan revision 

includes valuable input and 

contributions from the Aleut 

Community of St. Paul Island, and 

recognizes Unanga contributions to 

management and research. As fur seal 

subsistence use is paramount to 

Pribilovian Unanga cultural identity, 

Unangam tunuu (i.e., Aleut language) 

words have been incorporated into the 

Plan. 

The Notice of Availability of the draft 

revised Plan was published on June 12, 

2023, and the public comment period 

closed on August 11, 2023 (88 FR 

38010). Six public comment letters 

containing 28 unique substantive 

comments were received during the 

comment period, on the topics of direct 

fishery effects, indirect fishery effects, 

ecology and life history, Indigenous 

Knowledge, co-management, optimum 

sustainable population, disturbance, 

funding, threats, and effectiveness of the 

Conservation Plan. In response to these 

comments, the final version of the Plan 

contains many clarifications, and 

significant revisions were made to the 

indirect fishery effects and optimum 

sustainable population sections. Also in 

response to these comments, additional 

information has been incorporated 

regarding migration patterns, pup 

mortality, vital rates, pup health, and 

foraging trip duration. Finally, a new 

appendix containing migration and 

performance measure analyses has been 

added. A summary of substantive 

comments and responses to those 

comments, including whether and how 

the draft Conservation Plan was revised 

in response, has been created and is on 

file with the NMFS Alaska Region, 

Protected Resources Division. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–25969 Filed 11–7–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE454] 

Marine Mammals; File No. 27552 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

NMFS’ Pacific Islands Fisheries Science 

Center, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 

176, Honolulu, HI 96818 (Responsible 

Party: Charles Littnan, Ph.D.), has 

applied in due form for a permit to 

conduct research and enhancement 

activities on Hawaiian monk seals 

(Neomonachus schauinslandi). 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before December 9, 2024. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 217 / Friday, November 8, 2024 / Notices 88737 

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. 27552 from the list of available 

applications. These documents are also 

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. 27552 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: Sara 

Young 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 (ESA; 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 requests a 5-year permit 

to carry out research and enhancement 

activities to recover the endangered 

Hawaiian monk seal along beaches and 

nearshore waters throughout the 

Hawaiian Archipelago (Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands and main Hawaiian 

Islands) and Johnston Atoll. 

Research will identify impediments to 

recovery, inform the design of 

conservation interventions, and evaluate 

those measures. Research activities 

include visual and photographic 

monitoring, capture, tagging, pelage 

marking, health screening, foraging 

studies, deworming, necropsies, tissue 

sampling, behavioral modification, 

vocalization studies, and vaccination. 

Enhancement activities are designed to 

improve survival, reproductive success, 

and overall species’ status. 

Enhancement activities include 

deworming, capture, translocation, 

hazing and removal of aggressive adult 

male seals, disentangling, dehooking, 

medical treatment, behavioral 

modification, vaccination, and 

supplemental feeding of post-release 

rehabilitated seals. Unintentional 

mortalities during research and 

enhancement activities are requested. 

Unintentional disturbance of spinner 

dolphins (Stenella longirostris) and 

bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops 

truncatus) during research and 

enhancement activities is also 

requested. See the application for 

complete numbers of animals requested 

by species, age-class, and procedure. 

Pinniped parts may be collected, 

received, exported, and imported for 

analysis. 

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: November 5, 2024. 

Julia M. Harrison, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–25998 Filed 11–7–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

[Docket No.: PTO–P–2024–0052] 

Manual of Patent Examining 

Procedure, Ninth Edition, Revision 

January 2024 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: To provide updates to patent 

examination policy and procedures in a 

single source, which will improve 

access to essential guidance for all 

stakeholders and help to ensure 

issuance of robust and reliable patents 

that promote and protect innovation, the 

United States Patent and Trademark 

Office (USPTO or Office) issued a 

revision of the Ninth Edition of the 

Manual of Patent Examining Procedure 

(MPEP), published in November 2024 

(January 2024 revision). The MPEP 

provides patent examiners and the 

public with a reference work on the 

practices and procedures relative to the 

prosecution of patent applications and 

other proceedings before the USPTO. 

The MPEP contains instructions to 

examiners, as well as other material in 

the nature of information and 

interpretation, and outlines the current 

procedures that examiners are required 

or authorized to follow in appropriate 

cases in the normal examination of 

patent applications and during other 

Office proceedings. 

ADDRESSES: The USPTO prefers that any 

suggestions for improving the form and 

content of the MPEP be submitted via 

email to mpepfeedback@uspto.gov or 

via the IdeaScale® tool accessed from 

www.uspto.gov/MPEP. Written 

comments may also be submitted by 

mail addressed to: Commissioner for 

Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 

22313–1450, marked to the attention of 

Editor, Manual of Patent Examining 

Procedure. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeanne Clark, Editor of the MPEP, by 

email at Jeanne.Clark@uspto.gov, or 

telephone at 571–272–7714; Monique 

Cole, Senior Patent Examination Policy 

Advisor, by email at Monique.Cole@

uspto.gov, or telephone at 571–272– 

1463; or Kathy Mosser, Senior Patent 

Examination Policy Advisor, by email at 

Kathleen.Mosser@uspto.gov, or 

telephone at 571–272–4435. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

USPTO issued a revision to the Ninth 

Edition of the MPEP (January 2024 

revision), published in November 2024, 

which provides USPTO patent 

examiners, applicants, attorneys, agents, 

representatives of applicants, and other 

members of the public with a reference 

work on the practices and procedures 

relative to the prosecution of patent 

applications and other proceedings 

before the USPTO. The MPEP contains 

instructions to examiners, as well as 

other material in the nature of 

information and interpretation, and 

outlines the current procedures that 

examiners are required or authorized to 

follow in the normal examination of 

patent applications and during other 

Office proceedings. Although the MPEP 

does not have the force of law or the 

force of the rules in 37 CFR, it ‘‘is well 

known to those registered to practice in 

the [US]PTO and reflects the 

presumptions under which the [US]PTO 

operates.’’ Critikon, Inc. v. Becton 

Dickinson Vascular Access, Inc., 120 

F.3d 1253, 1257, 43 USPQ2d 1666, 1669 

(Fed. Cir. 1997). 

In the November 2024 publication of 

the January 2024 revision to the MPEP, 

sections of chapters 200–700, 900–1600, 

1800, and 2100–2900 have been 

updated. The updated sections have a 

revision indicator of [R–01.2024], 

meaning these sections have been 

updated to include changes based on 

published guidance documents (e.g., 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1