[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 95 (Monday, May 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27265-27267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13050]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 050198B]


Marine Mammals; Permits

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


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ACTION: Issuance of permits (774-1437, 782-1446, and 559-1442); and 
issuance of permit amendments (887, 839, 1000).

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SUMMARY: Notice is given that NMFS has issued permits that authorize 
takes of marine mammals for the purpose of scientific research, subject 
to certain conditions set forth therein, to: NMFS, Southwest Fisheries 
Science Center (SWFSC), P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA 92038; NMFS, 
National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML), 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, BIN 
C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; and Salvatore Cerchio.
    Notice is also given that NMFS amended permit nos.: 887, Institute 
of Marine Sciences , LML, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 
95060; 839, Dr. Paul Becker, NIST, Charleston Laboratory, 219 Fort 
Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412; 977, NMFS, National Marine Mammal 
Laboratory (NMML) (address above) and 1000, Alaska Department of Fish 
and Game (ADF&G), P.O. Box 3-2000, Juneau, AK 99802.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before June 
17, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment (See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Johnson or Sara Shapiro 301/713-
2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    Permits are issued 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.), the regulations governing the taking, importing, 
and exporting of endangered fish and wildlife (50 CFR parts 222-227), 
and the Fur Seal Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    Issuance of permits, as required by the ESA, was based on a finding 
that such permit (1) was applied for in good faith, (2) will not 
operate to the disadvantage of the endangered species which is the 
subject of this permit, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and 
policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA.

Permits Issued

    On January 12, 1998, notice was published in the Federal Register 
(63 FR 1830) that an application had been filed by NMFS, SWFSC for a 
scientific research permit. Permit No. 774-1437 was issued on April 16, 
1998, to take by harassment multiple cetacean species, and to import 
and export parts taken from these same species. On January 15, 1998, 
notice was published in the Federal Register (63 FR 2366) that the same 
above-named applicant had submitted a request for a scientific research 
permit to take by harassment multiple pinniped species. These two 
requests were combined under one permit. The purpose of the research is 
to estimate abundance and determine population structure of cetaceans 
in U.S. territorial and international waters, and to conduct population 
assessments for pinnipeds via ground/vessel surveys and photogrammetry.
    On February 13, 1998, notice was published in the Federal Register 
(63 FR 7403-7404) that an application had been filed by NMFS, National 
Marine Mammal Laboratory, for a scientific research permit. The Permit 
was issued March 26, 1998 to: conduct aerial, ground, and vessel 
surveys annually for stock assessment of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), 
California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), Steller sea lions 
(Eumetopias jubatus), and northern elephant seals (Mirounga 
angustirostris); capture, tag, and brand harbor seals for long term 
identification of individuals and information on reproductive success, 
survival and longevity, blood and biopsy sample them for contaminant 
analysis, tissue sample them for genetic analysis, and instrument them 
with VHF radio transmitters and/or time-depth recorders or satellite 
tags to document movements activity and foraging patterns; conduct the 
same activities on California sea lions, except they will not be tissue 
sampled; exported/imported to/from Canada harbor seal tissue samples; 
capture, tag, mark and release elephant seals; and incidentally harass 
animals during these activities and scat collections. Accidental 
mortalities are also authorized for each species to be captured. 
Activities will occur in Washington, Oregon.
    On January 27, 1998, notice was published in the Federal Register 
(63 FR 3881-3882) that an application had been filed by Mr. Salvatore 
Cerchio for a scientific research permit. The Permit was issued April 
30, 1998. The Permit authorizes import of humpback whale samples from 
Mexico.

Permit Amendments Issued

    On February 18, 1998, notice was published in the Federal Register 
(63 FR 8165) that an application had been filed by NMFS, NMML, to 
amendment permit no. 977. The amendment was issued March 26, 1998. The 
amendment extends the duration to December 31, 2000, and allows an 
additional 500 California sea lions to be taken for research purposes.
    A minor amendment was issued on March 30, 1998, for permit no. 836 
issued to Institute of Marine Science, UCSC. The amendment authorizes 
the Holder to alter the buoyancy of 10 elephant seals by adding weights 
or syntactic foam, and administering tritiated or deuterated water to 
10 adult males to measure water flux and energy expenditure. All 
animals were already authorized under permit and amendment did not 
require additional takes.
    A minor amendment was issued on April 27, 1998, to Dr. Paul Becker, 
NIST to extend the expiration date to December 31, 1998. The permit 
authorizes collection of samples from Alaska native subsistence 
harvests.
    On February 13, 1998, notice was published in the Federal Register 
(63 FR 7403) that an application had been filed by ADF&G, to amendment 
permit No. 1000. The amendment was issued March 31, 1998. The amendment 
authorizes the Holder to: administer oral deuterium oxide to 100 
additional harbor seals being captured for other purposes; and 
incidentally harass annually 12,000 harbor seals.
    Documents may be reviewed in the following locations: 
    All documents: Permits and Documentation Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-2289);
    For permits 774-1437, 977, and 887: Regional Administrator, 
Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310/980-4001);
    For permit 782-1446: Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, and 
Director, National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML), NMFS, 7600 Sand 
Point Way, NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (206/526-
6150) and NMML (206/526-4045);
    For permits 774-1437, 839 and 1000: Regional Administrator, Alaska 
Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668 (907/586-7721);
    For permit 774-1437: Regional Administrator, Southeast Region, 
NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2432, 
(813/570-5301); and
    For permit 559-1442: Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, 
NMFS, One Blackburn Dr., Gloucester, MA 01930-2298 (508/ 281-9250).


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    Dated: May 8, 1998.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-13050 Filed 5-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F