[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 166 (Wednesday, August 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 45398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22843]



[[Page 45398]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 081997B]


Gulf of Maine Aquaculture-Pinniped Interaction Task Force

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of report.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), 
NMFS submitted a report to Congress regarding pinnipeds interacting in 
a dangerous or damaging manner with aquaculture resources in the Gulf 
of Maine. The report, which addressed public comments on an earlier 
draft, is available to the public upon request.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the report are available from Chief, Habitat and 
Protected Resources Division, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 
01930, or Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Sandorf (508)281-9388 or Tom 
Eagle (301) 713-2322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Pursuant to section 120(h) of the MMPA, NMFS convened a Task Force 
to examine the issues and problems associated with pinniped-aquaculture 
interactions in the Gulf of Maine. Task Force members were selected 
from the aquaculture industry, state government, the scientific 
community, and conservation organizations. The Task Force convened 
three times for multi-day meetings, visited pen-sites, conducted public 
hearings, met with salmon growers, conducted surveys, and reviewed 
literature related to the issue, prior to completion of its report. The 
report contained Task Force recommendations to mitigate the seal 
predation, all of which represented the consensus of the Task Force.
    NMFS considered the recommendations from the Task Force and 
prepared a draft report to Congress recommending options available to 
mitigate the interaction. NMFS published a notice of availability of 
the draft report and solicited public comments on it (62 FR 12602, 
March 17, 1997).
    NMFS used the public comments in preparing a final report to 
Congress and forwarded the report to the Department of Commerce. The 
Secretary of Commerce transmitted the report to Congress on August 1, 
1997. Copies of the report are now available to the public (see 
ADDRESSES).

    Dated: August 21, 1997.
Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-22843 Filed 8-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F