[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 13605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5849]


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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; issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Craig Matkin, North Gulf Oceanic 
Society, Homer, AK, has been issued a permit to conduct research on 
marine mammals.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tammy Adams or Kristy Beard, (301) 
713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 5, 2011, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (76 FR 542) that a request for a permit to conduct 
research on marine mammals had been submitted by the above-named 
applicant. The requested permit has been issued under the authority of 
the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 
seq.), and the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine 
mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    The permit allows harassment of marine mammals during conduct of 
research 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 will 
examine movements of other non-endangered cetacean species along the 
North Gulf Coast of Alaska in relation to U.S. Navy testing activities. 
The 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.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has been made that the 
activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

    Dated: March 9, 2011.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-5849 Filed 3-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P