[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 57 (Friday, March 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 11808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7045]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 031396D]


Incidental Take of Marine Mammals; Bottlenose Dolphins and 
Spotted Dolphins

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

ACTION: Notice of issuance of letters of authorization.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as 
amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given 
that letters of authorization to take bottlenose and spotted dolphins 
incidental to oil and gas structure removal activities were issued on 
March 8, 1996, to Tatham Offshore, Inc. 7400 Texas Commerce Tower, 600 
Travis, Houston, TX 77002; and Mobil Exploration and Producing U.S., 
Inc., 1250 Poydras Plaza, New Orleans, LA 70113-1892.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The letters of authorization are effective from March 
8, 1996 through March 7, 1997.

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 the Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 
Executive Center Drive N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Hollingshead, Office of 
Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 713-2055 or Charles Oravetz, Southeast 
Region (813) 570-5312.

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 of Commerce 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 bottlenose and spotted dolphins incidental to oil and gas 
structure removal activities in the Gulf of Mexico were published on 
October 12, 1995 (60 FR 53139) and remain in effect until November 13, 
2000.

Summary of Request

    NMFS received requests for letters of authorization on February 22, 
1996, from Mobil Exploration and Producing U.S., Inc., and on February 
26, 1996, from Tatham Offshore, Inc. These letters request a take by 
harassment of a small number of bottlenose and spotted dolphins 
incidental to the above mentioned activity. Issuance of these letters 
of authorization is based on a finding that the total takings will have 
a negligible impact on the bottlenose and spotted dolphin stocks of the 
Gulf of Mexico.

    Dated: March 13, 1996.
Patricia A. Montanio,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-7045 Filed 3-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F