[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 5, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-33309]
[[Page 542]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA123
Marine Mammals; File No. 15616
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Craig Matkin, North Gulf Oceanic
Society, Homer, AK, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct
research on marine mammals.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or
before February 4, 2011.
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
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File
No. 15616 from the list of available applications.
These documents are also available 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) 713-0376; and
Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone
(907) 586-7221; fax (907) 586-7249.
Written comments on this application should be submitted to the
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, at the address
listed above. Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-
0376, or by e-mail to [email protected]. Please include the
File No. in the subject line of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a
written request to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education
Division at the address listed above. The request should set forth the
specific reasons why a hearing on this application would be
appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tammy Adams or Kristy Beard, (301)
713-2289.
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.), and the regulations governing the
taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
The applicant requests a five-year permit to study marine mammals
in Alaskan waters, including southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound,
the Kenai Peninsula, the Eastern Aleutian Islands, and the Bering Sea.
The purpose of the research is to maintain a long-term killer whale
(Orcinus orca) monitoring program in Alaskan waters that was initiated
over 25 years ago. In addition, the permit holder would examine
movements of other non-endangered cetacean species along the North Gulf
Coast of Alaska in relation to U.S. Navy testing activities. The
proposed research activities include photo-identification, passive
acoustic recording, biopsy sampling, tagging with barbed darts and
suction cups, and collecting samples of marine mammal carcasses from
sites of killer whale predation.
The applicant requests to photoidentify and acoustically record
(PI), biopsy sample (BS), attach barbed dart satellite tags (DT), and
suction cup tags (ST) to the following cetacean species: killer whales
(PI 2000, BS 100, DT 75, ST 75), gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus; PI
100, BS 8, DT 25), Baird's beaked whales (Berardius bairdii; PI 50, BS
8, DT 8), Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris; PI 50, BS 8, DT
8), and Stejneger's beaked whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri; PI 50, BS 8,
DT 8). Prey remains would be collected from carcasses of the following
species: 15 minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), 25 gray whale,
15 harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), 15 Dall's porpoise
(Phocoenoides dalli), 25 harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), 15 Pacific
white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), 25 northern fur
seals (Callorhinus ursinus), 25 other ``unidentified'' cetaceans, and
25 other ``unidentified'' pinnipeds.
An initial determination has been made in compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 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: December 29, 2010.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-33309 Filed 1-4-11; 8:45 am]
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