[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 2, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 51434-51435] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-25162] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 092096A] 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 letter of authorization. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that a letter of authorization to take bottlenose and spotted dolphins incidental to oil and gas structure removal activities was issued on September 23, 1996, to Conoco Inc., P.O. Box 51266, Lafayette, LA. EFFECTIVE DATE: The letter of authorization is effective from September 23, 1996, through September 23, 1997. ADDRESSES: The application and letter 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 NMFS 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. [[Page 51435]] Summary of Request NMFS received a request for a letter of authorization on September 16, 1996, from Conoco, Inc. This letter requested a take by harassment of a small number of bottlenose and spotted dolphins incidental to the described activity. Issuance of this letter 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: September 23, 1996. Rennie S. Holt, Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 96-25162 Filed 10-1-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F