[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 180 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 48821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24641]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 082797D]


Marine Mammals; Permit No. 837 (P77-1#67)

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

ACTION: Scientific research permit amendment.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a request for amendment of 
scientific research permit no. 837 submitted by The National Marine 
Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA, 7600 
Sand Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Seattle, Washington 98115, has been 
granted.

ADDRESSES: The amendment and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following office(s):
    Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/
713-2289); and
    Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 15, 1997, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (62 FR 37885) that an amendment of permit no. 837, 
issued June 4, 1993 (58 FR 33085), had been requested by the above-
named organization. The original permit authorized studies on northern 
fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) over a five-year period on rookeries in 
the Bering Sea and eastern North Pacific Ocean. The requested amendment 
has been granted under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection 
Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the provisions of 
Sec. 216.39 of the Regulations Governing the Taking and Importing of 
Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216), and the Fur Seal Act of 1966, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    The permit was amended to authorize the following increased takings 
of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus): 1) extend shear marking 
activities authorized in sections A.1 and A.2 to Bogoslof Island; 2) 
blood sampling of up to 40 pups of the 300 pups authorized in A.3 to be 
captured and tagged on San Miguel; 3) tissue sampling (i.e., hair, 
skin, blubber, muscle and liver) of up to 120 already deceased juvenile 
male seals (60 on St. Paul, 60 on St. George); and 4) capture and 
recapture of up to 20 adult female seals on Bogoslof Island to study 
foraging behavior. Each seal will be instrumented with a satellite tag 
and/or time-depth recorder and VHF transmitter via 5-minute epoxy glue; 
flipper tagged, weighed, measured, and released. At recapture, the 
instruments will be removed and the animals will be weighed, measured, 
administered an enema and released. Some of these seals may be sedated 
with Valium. At each capture, the seal will be given an intramuscular 
injection of oxytocin and milk sampled. Up to 2,000 pups and 2,000 non-
pups may be incidentally harassed during the course of these 
activities.

    Dated: September 5, 1997.
Ann D. Terbush
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-24641 Filed 9-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F