[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 149 (Thursday, August 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 44020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12555]
[[Page 44020]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 072806C]
Marine Mammals; File No. 87-1851
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for permit.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., Department
of Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California,
Santa Cruz, CA 95064, has applied for a permit to conduct research on
pinnipeds in Antarctica and California.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or
before September 5, 2006.
ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for
review upon written request or by appointment in the following
office(s):
Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD
20910; phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)427-2521; and
Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax (562)980-4018.
Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this
application should be submitted to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and
Education Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315
East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those
individuals requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons
why a hearing would be appropriate.
Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301) 427-2521,
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period.
Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for
providing email comments is [email protected]. Include in the
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier:
File No. 87-1851.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan, (301)713-2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The permit is requested under the authority
of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (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 222-226).
The applicant proposes to conduct two projects over a 5-year
period. Project I involves research in Antarctica to conduct tagging
studies and physiological measurements on up to 35 Crabeater seals
(Lobodon carcinophagus), 35 southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina),
10 leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx), 10 Weddell seals (Leptonychotes
weddellii), and five Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) of any age
annually. Procedures would include capture, sedation, ultrasound,
morphometrics, isotope and Evans blue dye administration, blood
sampling, tagging/marking, instrument attachment, stomach lavage,
specimen collection (whisker, claw, tooth, muscle and blubber biopsy),
and recapture to remove instruments. An additional 50 juvenile southern
elephant seals would be captured, weighed, measured, and flipper tagged
annually. An additional 10 adult leopard seals, 10 adult Weddell seals,
and 30 adult female southern elephant seals would have flipper tags
applied annually. Up to 100 additional southern elephant seals and 100
additional seals of the other four species combined would be harassed
annually incidental to these activities. The applicant also requests
unintentional research-related mortality of up to three seals of any of
these five seal species annually, not to exceed eight seals over the
five years of the permit. Tissue samples would be imported into the
United States.
Project II would involve research on California sea lions (Zalophus
californianus) to investigate foraging, diving, energetics, food
habits, and at-sea distribution along the California coast. Procedures
would include capture, sedation, morphometrics, isotope and Evans blue
dye administration, blood sampling, tagging/marking, instrument
attachment, stomach lavage and enema, blubber/muscle biopsy, metabolic
measurements, stomach temperature telemeters, and milk sampling. Up to
100 pups/juveniles and 100 adults would be sampled annually, with some
or all of the procedures performed. Harassment of unlimited numbers of
California sea lions, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), northern elephant
seals (Mirounga augustirostris), and northern fur seals (Callorhinus
ursinus) and up to 20 threatened Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)
annually incidental to these activities is requested. The applicant
also requests unintentional research-related mortality of up to five
California sea lions over the course of the permit.
Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of these applications to the Marine
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.
Dated: July 28, 2006.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-12555 Filed 8-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S