[Federal Register: May 3, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 84)]
[Notices]               
[Page 23608]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03my99-36]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 041699B]

 
Marine Mammals; File No. 540-1502-00

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

ACTION: Receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that John Calambokidis has applied in 
due form for a permit to take several species of marine mammals for 
purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before June 
2, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following 
office(s):
    Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/
713-2289);
    Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point 
Way, NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (206/526-6426); 
and
    Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean 
Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (562/980-4027).
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be mailed to the Chief, Permits and Documentation 
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 on this particular request would be appropriate.
    Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301) 713-0376, 
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period. Please 
note that comments will not be accepted by e-mail or by other 
electronic media.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeannie Drevenak, 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.), 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 222.23).
    The applicant is requesting to harass several species of cetaceans 
during the course of photo-identification, aerial survey, biopsy 
sampling, and/or tagging activities; and several species of pinnipeds 
during the course of aerial surveys. Blue whales (Balaenoptera 
musculus), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), humpback whales 
(Megaptera novaeangliae), gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), and 
sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) may be harassed during photo-
identification, aerial survey, biopsy sampling, and tagging activities. 
Sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) and Brydes whales (Balaenoptera 
edeni) may be harassed during photo-identification, aerial survey, and 
biopsy sampling activities. Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), 
right whales (Balaena glacialis), Baird's beaked whales (Berardius 
bairdii), Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), Bottlenose 
dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala 
macrorhyncus), false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens), and killer 
whales (Orcinus orca) may be harassed during photo-identification and 
aerial survey activities. Pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps), dwarf 
sperm whales (Kogia simus), Mesoplodon beaked whales (Mesoplodon sp.), 
Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), northern 
right whale dolphins (Lissodelphis borealis), short-beaked common 
dolphins (Delphinus delphis), long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus 
capensis), striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), Risso's dolphins 
(Grampus griseus), harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), Dall porpoise 
(Phocoenoides dalli), Califrnia seal lions (Zalophus californianus), 
Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), northern fur seals (Callorhinus 
ursinus), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), and elephant seals (Mirounga 
angustirostris) may be harassed during aerial surveys. The research 
will be carried out over a 5-year period in the North Pacific Ocean, 
including the waters off California, Oregon, and Washington.
    The purposes of the proposed research are to: determine the 
abundance and distribution of marine mammals off the coasts of 
California, Oregon, and Washington; to determine the abundance, 
movements, population structure, diving behavior and feeding behavior 
of large whales in the North Pacific. These studies are a continuation 
of research that the applicant has been conducting over the past 
several years.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made 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 this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: April 27, 1999.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-11031 Filed 4-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F