Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 234 / Thursday, December 5, 2024 / Notices 96645 

animals taken is up to, but not greater 

than, one-third of the best available 

abundance estimate, NMFS will 

determine that the numbers of marine 

mammals taken of a species or stock are 

small (see 89 FR 31535, May 24, 2024). 

For more information please see NMFS’ 

discussion of small numbers in the 2021 

final rule (86 FR 5438, January 19, 

2021). 

The take numbers for authorization 

are determined as described above. 

Subsequently, the total incidents of 

harassment for each species are 

multiplied by scalar ratios to produce a 

derived product that better reflects the 

number of individuals likely to be taken 

within a survey (as compared to the 

total number of instances of take), 

accounting for the likelihood that some 

individual marine mammals may be 

taken on more than 1 day (see 86 FR 

5404, January 19, 2021). The output of 

this scaling, where appropriate, is 

incorporated into adjusted total take 

estimates that are the basis for NMFS’ 

small numbers determinations, as 

depicted in table 1. 

This product is used by NMFS in 

making the necessary small numbers 

determinations through comparison 

with the best available abundance 

estimates (see discussion at 86 FR 5391, 

January 19, 2021). For this comparison, 

NMFS’ approach is to use the maximum 

theoretical population, determined 

through review of current stock 

assessment reports (SAR; https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-stock-assessments) and modelpredicted abundance information 

(https://seamap.env.duke.edu/models/ 

Duke/GOM/). Information supporting 

the small numbers determinations is 

provided in table 1. 

TABLE 1—TAKE ANALYSIS

Species Authorized 

take 

Scaled 

take 1 Abundance 2 Percent 

abundance 

Rice’s whale ..................................................................................................... 0 n/a 51 0 

Sperm whale .................................................................................................... 543 230 3,007 7.6 

Kogia spp. ........................................................................................................ 3 172 52 980 6.2 

Beaked whales ................................................................................................ 1,882 190 803 23.7

Rough-toothed dolphin .................................................................................... 1,399 401 4,853 8.3 

Bottlenose dolphin ........................................................................................... 1,684 483 165,125 0.3 

Clymene dolphin .............................................................................................. 869 168 4,619 3.6 

Atlantic spotted dolphin ................................................................................... 496 142 21,506 0.7 

Pantropical spotted dolphin ............................................................................. 11,845 3,400 67,225 5.1

Spinner dolphin ................................................................................................ 258 74 5,548 1.3

Striped dolphin ................................................................................................. 2,441 701 5,634 12.4 

Fraser’s dolphin ............................................................................................... 512 98 1,665 5.9

Risso’s dolphin ................................................................................................. 421 124 1,974 6.3 

Blackfish 4 ......................................................................................................... 3,012 888 6,113 14.5 

Short-finned pilot whale ................................................................................... 698 206 2,741 7.5 

1Scalar ratios were applied to ‘‘Authorized Take’’ values as described at 86 FR 5322 and 86 FR 5404 (January 19, 2021) to derive scaled take 

numbers shown here. 2Best abundance estimate. For most taxa, the best abundance estimate for purposes of comparison with take estimates is considered here to 

be the model-predicted abundance (Garrison et al., 2023). For Rice’s whale, Atlantic spotted dolphin, and Risso’s dolphin, the larger SAR abundance estimate is used. 3 Includes 9 takes by Level A harassment and 163 takes by Level B harassment. Scalar ratio is applied to takes by Level B harassment only; 

small numbers determination made on basis of scaled Level B harassment take plus authorized Level A harassment take. 4The ‘‘blackfish’’ guild includes melon-headed whales, false killer whales, pygmy killer whales, and killer whales. 

Authorization 

NMFS has changed the expiration 

date of the LOA from June 30, 2025, to 

October 31, 2025 and updated 

authorized take numbers based on the 

corrected information in the updated 

rule. There are no other changes to the 

LOA as described in the April 11, 2024, 

Federal Register notice of issuance (89 

FR 25577); the specified survey activity, 

and small numbers analysis and 

determination remain unchanged and 

are incorporated here by reference. 

Dated: November 27, 2024. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28455 Filed 12–4–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XE452 

Taking and Importing Marine 

Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 

Incidental to Rocky Intertidal 

Monitoring Surveys Along the Oregon 

and California Coasts 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

letter of authorization; request for 

comments and information. 

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request 

from the University of California Santa 

Cruz for authorization to take small 

numbers of marine mammals incidental 

to rocky intertidal monitoring along the 

coasts of Oregon and California over the 

course of 5 years from the date of 

issuance. Pursuant to regulations 

implementing the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is 

announcing receipt of the University of 

California Santa Cruz’s request for the 

development and implementation of 

regulations governing the incidental 

taking of marine mammals. NMFS 

invites the public to provide 

information, suggestions, and comments 

on the University of California Santa 

Cruz’s application and request. 

DATES: Comments and information must 

be received no later than January 6, 

2025. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on the 

applications should be addressed to 

Jolie Harrison, Chief, Permits and 

Conservation Division, Office of 

Protected Resources, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. Comments should be 


khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES
96646 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 234 / Thursday, December 5, 2024 / Notices 

submitted electronically to ITP.gatzke@

noaa.gov. 

Instructions: NMFS is not responsible 

for comments sent by any other method, 

to any other address or individual, or 

received after the end of the comment 

period. Comments received 

electronically, including all 

attachments, must not exceed a 25- 

megabyte file size. Attachments to 

electronic comments will be accepted in 

Microsoft Word or Excel or Adobe PDF 

file formats only. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted online at 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/node/ 

23111 without change. All personal 

identifying information (e.g., name, 

address) voluntarily submitted by the 

commenter may be publicly accessible. 

Do not submit confidential business 

information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

An electronic copy of the University 

of California Santa Cruz’s application 

may be obtained online at: https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

marine-mammal-protection/incidentaltake-authorizations-research-and-otheractivities. In case of problems accessing 

these documents, please call the contact 

listed below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Gatzke, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the 

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct 

the Secretary of Commerce (as delegated 

to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the 

incidental, but not intentional, taking of 

small numbers of marine mammals by 

U.S. citizens who engage in a specified 

activity (other than commercial fishing) 

within a specified geographical region if 

certain findings are made and either 

regulations are issued or, if the taking is 

limited to harassment, a notice of a 

proposed authorization is provided to 

the public for review. 

An incidental take authorization shall 

be granted if NMFS finds that the taking 

will have a negligible impact on the 

species or stock(s), will not have an 

unmitigable adverse impact on the 

availability of the species or stock(s) for 

subsistence uses (where relevant), and if 

the permissible methods of taking and 

requirements pertaining to the 

mitigation, monitoring and reporting of 

such takings are set forth. 

NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible 

impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact 

resulting from the specified activity that 

cannot be reasonably expected to, and is 

not reasonably likely to, adversely affect 

the species or stock through effects on 

annual rates of recruitment or survival. 

The MMPA states that the term ‘‘take’’ 

means to harass, hunt, capture, kill or 

attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill 

any marine mammal. 

Except with respect to certain 

activities not pertinent here, the MMPA 

defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: any act of 

pursuit, torment, or annoyance, which: 

(i) has the potential to injure a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has 

the potential to disturb a marine 

mammal or marine mammal stock in the 

wild by causing disruption of behavioral 

patterns, including, but not limited to, 

migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, 

feeding, or sheltering (Level B 

harassment). 

Summary of Request 

On September 6, 2024, NMFS 

received an application from the 

University of California Santa Cruz 

requesting authorization for take of 

marine mammals incidental to research 

activities related to rocky intertidal 

monitoring along the coasts of Oregon 

and California. Following receipt of 

additional information from the 

applicant, we determined the 

application was adequate and complete 

on November 22, 2024. The requested 

regulations would be valid for 5 years, 

from 2025 through 2030. The University 

of California Santa Cruz plans to 

conduct necessary work, including 

research surveys, to monitor rocky 

intertidal communities. The proposed 

action may result in incidental 

disturbance of pinnipeds caused by 

researcher presence and research 

activities in the vicinity, including 

visual stimulus, noise, and use of 

unmanned aerial systems, thereby 

resulting in incidental take, by Level B 

harassment only. Therefore, the 

University of California Santa Cruz 

requests authorization to incidentally 

take marine mammals. 

The requested incidental take 

regulations would be the second such 

regulations issued on request to the 

University of California Santa Cruz, 

following regulations effective from 

2020–2025 (https://www.fisheries.

noaa.gov/action/incidental-takeauthorization-university-californiasanta-cruz-rocky-intertidal-monitoring0). 

Specified Activities 

The Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal 

Network (MARINe, https://marine.

ucsc.edu/), administered by the 

University of California Santa Cruz, 

conducts monitoring at rocky intertidal 

sites in California and Oregon. They 

have been conducting similar research 

since 2013. Information from MARINe’s 

research is used to inform marine policy 

and is made available to the public 

through outreach and educational 

programs. The University of California 

Santa Cruz anticipates approximately 

300 survey days over the course of the 

5-year period. They expect to take 

California sea lions, northern elephant 

seals, Steller sea lions, and California 

and Oregon/Washington stocks of 

harbor seals. 

Information Solicited 

Interested persons may submit 

information, suggestions, and comments 

concerning the University of California 

Santa Cruz’s request (see ADDRESSES). 

NMFS will consider all information, 

suggestions, and comments related to 

the request during the development of 

proposed regulations governing the 

incidental taking of marine mammals by 

the University of California Santa Cruz, 

if appropriate. 

Dated: November 29, 2024. 

Kimberly Damon-Randall, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28453 Filed 12–4–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

Review and Approval; Comment 

Request; Recreational Angler Survey 

of Sea Turtle Interactions 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit the following information 

collection request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and clearance in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, on or after the date of publication 

of this notice. We invite the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

comment on proposed, and continuing 

information collections, which helps us 

assess the impact of our information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. Public 

comments were previously requested 

via the Federal Register on July 30, 

2024 during a 60-day comment period. 

This notice allows for an additional 30 

days for public comments. 

Agency: National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Commerce. 


khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES