[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30080]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 112194B]

 

Small Takes of Ringed Seals Incidental to On-Ice Seismic Activity

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

ACTION: Notice of issuance of letters of authorization.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 101(a)(5) of the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, and implementing regulations, 
notification is hereby given that letters of authorization to take 
ringed seals incidental to on-ice seismic operations in the Beaufort 
Sea off Alaska were issued on December 1, 1994 to BP Exploration, 
Western Geophysical, and Schlumberger, all of Anchorage, AK.

DATES: These letters of authorization are effective from December 1, 
1994 until December 1, 1995.

ADDRESSES: The applications and letters are available for review in the 
following offices: Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and Western Alaska Field Office, NMFS, 
701 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99513.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Hollingshead, Office of 
Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 713-2055 or Ron Morris, Western Alaska 
Field Office, NMFS, (907) 271-5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 
1361 et seq.) directs NMFS to allow, on request, the incidental, but 
not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. 
citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial 
fishing) within a specified geographical region, if certain findings 
are made, and regulations are issued. Under the MMPA, the term 
``taking'' means to harass, hunt, capture or kill or to attempt to 
harass, hunt, capture or kill marine mammals.
    Permission may be granted for periods up to 5 years if the 
Secretary finds, after notification and opportunity for public comment, 
that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or 
stock(s) of marine mammals and will not have an unmitigable adverse 
impact on the availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence 
uses. In addition, NMFS must prescribe regulations that include 
permissible methods of taking and other means effecting the least 
practicable adverse impact on the species and its habitat, and on the 
availability of the species for subsistence uses, paying particular 
attention to rookeries, mating grounds and areas of similar 
significance. The regulations must include requirements pertaining to 
the monitoring and reporting of such taking. Regulations governing the 
taking of ringed seals incidental to on-ice seismic activities were 
promulgated on January 13, 1993 (58 FR 4091) and remain in effect until 
December 31, 1997.

Summary of Requests

    NMFS received requests for letters of authorization on the dates 
specified from: (1) BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., 900 East Benson Blvd. 
P.O. Box 196612, Anchorage, AK 99519-6612 (July 15, 1994, revised 
September 20, 1994); (2) Western Geophysical/ Western Atlas 
International, Inc. 351 E. International Airport Road, Anchorage, AK 
99518-1299 (November 4, 1994); and (3) Schlumberger, 500 W. 
International Airport Road, Anchorage, AK 99518 (October 31, 1994). All 
letters request a take by harassment of a small number of ringed seals 
incidental to on-ice seismic work in the Beaufort Sea, AK.
    Issuances of these letters are based on findings that the total 
takings will have a negligible impact on the ringed seal species or 
stock and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the 
availability of this species for subsistence uses.

    Dated: December 1, 1994.
P.A. Montanio,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-30080 Filed 12-6-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F