[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-214]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 121897A]


Marine Mammals; Scientific Research Permit No. 875-1401

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

ACTION: Scientific research permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a request for amendment of 
scientific research permit no. 875-1401 submitted by Dr. Christopher W. 
Clark, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, 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 Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-2289); and
    Director, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 
CA 90802-4213 (562/980-4001).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 14, 1997, notice was published 
in the Federal Register (62 FR 61093) that an amendment of permit no. 
875-1401, issued September 8, 1997 (62 FR 48611) had been requested by 
the above-name individual. The requested amended permit has been issued 
under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Regulations Governing the Taking 
and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR Part 216); the Endangered 
Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the 
Regulations Governing the Taking, Importing, and Exporting of 
Endangered Fish and Wildlife (50 CFR part 222); and the Fur Seal Act of 
1966 (16 U.S.C. 1151-1175). Issuance of this permit, as required by the 
ESA, was based on a finding that such permit: (1) Was applied for in 
good faith; (2) will not operate to the disadvantage of the endangered 
species which is the subject of this permit; and (3) is consistent with 
the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA. The 
requested amendment has been issued under the authority of the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and 
the Regulations Governing the Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals 
(50 CFR part 216).
    Permit No. 875-1401 currently authorizes the harassment of several 
species of marine mammals during the conduct of research to study the 
effects of low-frequency sound produced by the Navy's Surface Towed 
Array Surveillance System Low Frequency Active (SURTASS LFA) system on 
the behavior of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and fin whales 
(Balaenoptera physalus) feeding in the Southern California Bight during 
September/October of 1997 and/or 1998. The permit has been amended to 
provide for: 1) the conduct of playback experiments using a SURTASS LFA 
sound source to study behavioral responses of gray whales (Eschrichtius 
robustus) to SURTASS LFA signals and related stimuli; and 2) radio 
tagging via suction cup attachment of up to 14 gray whales. Individuals 
of several other species of cetaceans, pinnipeds, and possibly sea 
turtles, may be taken (i.e., by harassment or auditory temporary 
threshold shift) during during the proposed experiments.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an EA examining the environmental 
consequences of issuing the requested amended permit has been prepared. 
Based upon this EA, NMFS has concluded that issuance of the requested 
permit will not have a significant effect on the human environment.

    Dated: December 30, 1997.
Ann D. Terbush
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-214 Filed 1-5-98:45 am]
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