[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8570-8571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2694]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 010901B]


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 a letter of authorization.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as 
amended, notification is hereby given that a letter of authorization to 
take ringed and bearded seals incidental to on-ice seismic operations 
in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska was issued on January 22, 2001, to 
Western Geophysical of Anchorage, AK.

DATES: This letter of authorization is effective from January 22, 2001, 
through May 31, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The application and letter is 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, ext 128 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 a request for a letter of authorization on September 
11, 2000, from Western Geophysical. This letter requested a take by 
harassment of a small number of ringed seals and bearded seals 
incidental to conducting vibroseis surveys in the Beaufort Sea off 
Alaska.
    Issuance of the letter of authorization is based on findings that 
the total takings by this activity will have a negligible impact on the 
ringed seal stocks of the Western Beaufort Sea and that the applicant 
has met the requirements contained in the

[[Page 8571]]

implementing regulations, including monitoring and reporting 
requirements.

    Dated: January 22, 2001.
Wanda L. Cain,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-2694 Filed 1-31-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S