[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3775-3776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1340]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 222

[Docket No. 950106004-5004-01; I.D. 121494C]
RIN 0648-AB79


Endangered Fish or Wildlife; Special Prohibitions; Approaching 
Humpback Whales in Hawaiian Waters

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues a rule that prohibits aircraft from approaching 
closer than 1,000 ft (300 m) to a humpback whale, and prohibits vessels 
or people from approaching by any means closer than 100 yd (90 m) to a 
humpback whale in Hawaiian waters. These provisions were contained in 
an interim rule issued in 1987. The interim rule also identified cow/
calf waters and contained provisions concerning approaches to humpback 
whales in these areas. Section 17 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 
Amendments of 1994 terminated the latter provisions. This rule 
implements the statutory change.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 19, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Hilda Diaz-Soltero, Regional Director, Southwest Region, 
National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, 
Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eugene T. Nitta, Protected Species 
Program Manager, 808-973-2937; Dean Wilkinson, Marine Mammal Division, 
Office of Protected Resources, 301-713-2322; James H. Lecky, Chief, 
Protected Species Management Division, 310-980-4015.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On November 23, 1987, NMFS published an interim rule (52 FR 44912-
44915) regulating the approach to humpback whales in Hawaii (50 CFR 
222.31). Paragraph (b) described certain waters as cow/calf waters and 
specified a minimum approach distance of 300 yd (270 m) to humpback 
whales in these areas. Section 17 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 
Amendments of 1994 (Public Law 103-238) provides that it is legal to 
approach no closer than 100 yd (90 m) to a humpback regardless of 
whether the approach is made in waters designated as cow/calf waters. 
Section 17(b) of the statute provides:

    Subsection (b) of section 222.31 of title 50, Code of Federal 
Regulations, shall cease to be in force and effect.

    This rule implements the statutory provision. The change to the 
regulations is nondiscretionary and technical in nature.

Classification

    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of E.O. 12866. Because this rule implements a statutory 
determination under which the Agency has no flexibility for 
implementation, the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, under 
section 553(b) (B) and (d) of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 
U.S.C. 553 et seq.) for good cause finds that it is unnecessary to 
provide notice and public comment on this rule, or to delay for 30 days 
its effective date. As NMFS is unable to consider alternatives to the 
statutory mandate, the preparation of an environmental assessment under 
the National Environmental Policy Act is not required, and none was 
prepared. Because this rule is being issued as a final rule without 
prior public comment, a regulatory flexibility analysis is not required 
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and none has been prepared. This 
final rule is expected to result in no economic costs to the public.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 222

    Administrative practice and procedure, Endangered and threatened 
species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Transportation.

    Dated: January 12, 1995.
Charles Karnella,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.

    For reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 222 is amended as 
follows:

PART 222--ENDANGERED FISH OR WILDLIFE

    1. The authority citation for part 222 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531-1543.

    2. Section 222.31 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 222.31  Approaching humpback whales in Hawaii.

    Except as provided in subpart C (Endangered Fish or Wildlife 
Permits) of this part it is unlawful for any person subject to the 
jurisdiction of the United States to commit, to attempt to commit, to 
solicit another to commit, or to cause 

[[Page 3776]]
to be committed, within 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) of the Islands of 
Hawaii, any of the following acts with respect to humpback whales 
(Megaptera novaeangliae):
    (a) Operate any aircraft within 1,000 ft (300 m) of any humpback 
whale; or
    (b) Approach by any means, within 100 yd (90 m) of any humpback 
whale; or
    (c) Cause a vessel or other object to approach within 100 yd (90 m) 
of a humpback whale; or
    (d) Disrupt the normal behavior or prior activity of a whale by any 
other act or omission. A disruption of normal behavior may be 
manifested by, among other actions on the part of the whale, a rapid 
change in direction or speed; escape tactics such as prolonged diving, 
underwater course changes, underwater exhalation, or evasive swimming 
patterns; interruptions of breeding, nursing, or resting activities, 
attempts by a whale to shield a calf from a vessel or human observer by 
tail swishing or by other protective movement; or the abandonment of a 
previously frequented area.

[FR Doc. 95-1340 Filed 1-18-95; 8:45 am]
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