[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 55 (Monday, March 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 13839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7458]



[[Page 13839]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 031198B]


Incidental Take of Marine Mammals; Taking of Ringed Seals 
Incidental to On-Ice Seismic Activities

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

ACTION: Notice of issuance of letters of authorization.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as 
amended and with implementing regulations, notification is hereby given 
that letters of authorization to take ringed and bearded seals 
incidental to on-ice seismic operations in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska 
were issued on March 16, 1998, to BP Exploration, Western Geophysical, 
and Northern Geophysical of America, all of Anchorage, AK.

DATES: These letters of authorization are effective from March 16, 
1998, through May 31, 1998.

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 Western Alaska Field Office, 
NMFS, 701 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99513.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Hollingshead, NMFS, (301) 
713-2055 or Brad Smith, Western Alaska Field Office, NMFS, (907) 271-
5006.

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 by NMFS 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 ringed 
and bearded seals incidental to on-ice seismic surveys were published 
on February 2, 1998 (63 FR 5277), and remain in effect until December 
31, 2002.

Summary of Request

    NMFS received requests for letters of authorization on February 24, 
1998, from Northern Geophysical; February 26, 1998, from BP Exploration 
(Alaska); and May 20, 1997 (as amended on December 22, 1997, and March 
3, 1998), from Western Geophysical. These letters requested a take by 
harassment of a small number of ringed and bearded seals incidental to 
the described activity.
    Issuance of these letters of authorization are based on findings 
that the total takings by this activity will have a negligible impact 
on the ringed and bearded seal stocks of the Western Beaufort Sea and 
that the applicants have met the requirements contained in the 
implementing regulations.

    Dated: March 16, 1998.
Patricia A. Montanio,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-7458 Filed 3-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F