[Federal Register: September 16, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 179)]
[Notices]
[Page 55797-55798]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16se04-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 083104B]
Marine Mammals; Permit No. 782-1708-00
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Receipt of application for amendment.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the NMFS, National Marine Mammal
Laboratory (NMML), has requested an amendment to scientific research
Permit No. 782-1708-00.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or
before October 18, 2004.
ADDRESSES: The amendment request 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)713-0376; and
Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone
(907)586-7221; fax (907)586-7249;
Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this request
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 on this particular amendment 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.
Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for
providing email comments is NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include in the
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier:
Permit No. 782-1708-00.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Johnson or Amy Sloan, (301)713-
2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 782-
1708-00, issued on August 28, 2003 (68 FR 52906) 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), and the Fur Seal Act of
1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
Permit No. 782-1708 authorizes the permit holder to conduct
scientific research on northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). Seals
may be captured, tagged, sampled and incidentally harassed during
annual censuses on the Pribilof Islands. The objectives of this work
are to: (1) monitor the status and trends of the northern fur seal
population, (2) evaluate the condition of animals from each cohort
(health and strength of year-class), (3) monitor the diet, and (4)
document the movement patterns, foraging behavior, and essential
foraging
[[Page 55798]]
habitat of various age and sex classes of fur seals. The information
collected under this permit is important for assessing the recovery of
this depleted species and for evaluating management actions.
The current knowledge base regarding reasons for the continued
decline of the northern fur seal population would benefit from direct
longitudinal studies on mother pup pairs and comparative studies on
habitat use and success of individuals from the decreasing Pribilof
Islands population and the increasing Bogolof Island population. In
this regard, the Holder is requesting an amendment to the Permit to:
collect a blubber sample, use tritiated water on 70 of the adult
females already authorized to be taken, and to hold them up to 2.5
hours; include gastric intubation, use of deuterated water on 60 pups
already authorized to be taken, recapture them twice, and hold pups for
up to 2.5 hours. Both isotope procedures would be conducted
simultaneously on mother-pup pairs. After the final blood sample, pairs
would be released together. The proposed amendment would allow research
that will contribute information needed for long term studies of adult
female fur seals through their pupping, lactation, and annual migration
periods. When combined with studies of their pups throughout the
lactation period, this would provide important insight into female/pup
body condition, female reproductive success, and habitat use during the
breeding season and the winter migration. The differences in population
trends, foraging locations, and diets between the Pribilof Island and
Bogoslof Island populations will be addressed in the proposed study.
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination (dated August 28,
2004) has been made that the Permitted activities are 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: September 10, 2004.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-20887 Filed 9-15-04; 8:45 am]
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