[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 110 (Thursday, June 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30706-30714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14406]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051101B]


Notice of Availability of Draft Stock Assessment Reports

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS revised the Alaska, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and 
Pacific marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) in accordance 
with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Draft 2001 reports are 
available for public review and comment.

DATES:  Comments must be received by September 5, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments or requests for printed copies of the draft 
reports to: Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226, Attn: Stock Assessments. Comments may 
also be sent via facsimile (fax) to 301-713-0376. NMFS will not accept 
comments submitted via e-mail or Internet. Copies of the regional 
reports may also be requested from Robyn Angliss, Alaska Fisheries 
Science Center (F/AKC), NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE BIN 15700, 
Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (Alaska); Janeen Quintal, Northeast Fisheries 
Science Center, 166 Water St., Woods Hole, MA 02543 (Northwest 
Atlantic); Steven Swartz, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 75 
Virginia Beach Dr., Miami, FL 33149 (Mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico); 
and Tim Price, Southwest Regional Office (F/SWO3), NMFS, 501 West Ocean 
Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (Pacific).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Hanson, Office of Protected 
Resources, 301-713-2322, ext. 101, e-mail [email protected]; Robyn 
Angliss 206- 526-4032, e-mail [email protected], regarding Alaska 
regional stock assessments; Janeen Quintal, 508-495-2252, e-mail 
[email protected], regarding Northwest Atlantic regional stock 
assessments; Steven Swartz, 305-361-4487, e-mail 
[email protected], regarding Mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico 
regional stock assessments; or Tim Price, 562-980-4020, e-mail 
[email protected], regarding Pacific regional stock assessments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 117 of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1386) 
requires NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to prepare 
SARs for each stock of marine mammals that occurs in waters under the 
jurisdiction of the United States. The SARs contain information about 
the distribution and abundance of the stock, population growth rates 
and trends, estimates of annual human-caused mortality from all 
sources, descriptions of the fisheries with which the stock interacts, 
and the status of the stock.
    The MMPA also requires NMFS and FWS to review the SARs annually for 
strategic stocks of marine mammals and at least every three years for 
stocks determined to be non-strategic. NMFS, in conjunction with the 
Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific Scientific Review Groups, reviewed the 
status of marine mammal stocks as required and revised reports for 
which new information was available. Summary tables for all stocks of 
marine mammals in the three regions (Tables 1-3) indicate revisions to 
the SARs. NMFS solicits public comments on the draft Alaska, Atlantic 
and Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific reports.

Alaska Stocks

    The Alaska SARs present revised stock assessments for 15 marine 
mammal stocks under NMFS' jurisdiction. New information for all 
strategic stocks, Pacific white-sided dolphins, harbor porpoise, Dall's 
porpoise, and gray whales were reviewed in late 2000, leading to the 
revision of the following SARs for 2001:
    Alaska stock of bearded seals;
    Cook Inlet stock of beluga whales;
    Western Arctic stock of bowhead whales;
    Northeast Pacific stock of fin whales;
    Central and Western North Pacific stocks of humpback whales;
    Eastern North Pacific and Northern Resident stocks of killer 
whales;
    Alaska stock of minke whales;
    North Pacific stock of Northern right whales;
    Eastern North Pacific stock of northern fur seals;
    Alaska stock of ribbon seals;
    Alaska stock of ringed seals;
    Alaska stock of spotted seals; and
    Eastern and Western U.S. stocks of Steller sea lions. The new 
information on abundance and mortality did not change the status of any 
of the Alaska stocks from the 2000 SARs.

Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Stocks

    The Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico SARs present revised stock 
assessments for 17 marine mammal stocks under NMFS' jurisdiction. The 
2001 draft SARs for the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico contain updated 
assessments for Atlantic strategic stocks and for Atlantic and Gulf of 
Mexico stocks for which significant new information was available. This 
review led to the revision of the following stock assessments for 2001:
    Western North Atlantic (WNA) stock of harbor seals;
    WNA stock of gray seals;
    WNA stock of harp seals;
    Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy stock of harbor porpoise;
    WNA stock of Risso's dolphins;
    WNA stock of Atlantic white-sided dolphins;
    WNA stock of common dolphins;
    WNA stock of Cuvier's beaked whales;
    WNA stock of mesoplodon beaked whales;
    WNA stock of long-finned pilot whales;
    WNA stock of short-finned pilot whales;
    North Atlantic stock of sperm whales;
    WNA stock of North Atlantic right whales;
    Gulf of Maine stock of humpback whales;
    WNA stock of fin whales;
    Canadian east-coast stock of minke whales; and
    WNA stock of blue whales.
    Most of the proposed changes incorporate new information into 
sections on population size and mortality estimates. Information on 
human interactions (fishery and ship strikes) between the right whale, 
humpback whale, fin whale, and minke whale stocks were reviewed and 
updated. The new information on abundance and mortality did not change 
the status of any of the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico stocks from the 
2000 SARs.
    The draft 2001 SAR for the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy population of 
harbor porpoise presents a revised abundance estimate of 89,700 
animals, with a corresponding potential biological removal (PBR) level 
of 747 animals. The revised estimate is based on a 1999 survey that 
covered a larger area than covered by earlier surveys. Additionally, 
NMFS reported the estimated mortality and serious injury for harbor 
porpoise for 1999, the year the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan 
(HPTRP) was implemented. The estimated mean annual mortality in 1999 
was 323 animals in U.S. fisheries, which is a significant reduction in 
mortality relative to levels before the HPTRP was implemented. Based on 
a comparison of the PBR resulting from

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the 1999 abundance data and the 1999 mortality and serious injury data, 
this stock no longer qualifies as a strategic stock. However, because 
the reported estimated mortality and serious injury reflects only one 
year of data, NMFS proposes to maintain this stock as strategic until 
additional data corroborate that serious injury and mortality continue 
to be below the PBR level.

Pacific Stocks

    The Pacific SARs present revised stock assessments for 10 Pacific 
marine mammal stocks under NMFS' jurisdiction. New estimates of 
abundance are available for 9 stocks, which are revised in the 2001 
stock assessment reports:
    California stock of harbor seals (Channel Islands only);
    Hawaii stock of Hawaiian monk seals;
    Northern and Central California stocks of harbor porpoise;
    California coastal stock of bottlenose dolphins;
    Eastern North Pacific southern resident stock of killer whales;
    Eastern North Pacific stock of humpback whales;
    California/Oregon/Washington (CA/OR/WA) stock of sperm whales; and,
    CA/OR/WA stock of fin whales. The new information on abundance and 
mortality did not change the status of any of the Pacific stocks from 
the 2000 SARs.
    New information on changes in the Hawaiian longline fishery is 
presented in the Hawaii false killer whale report. The stock of 
humpback whale previously referred to as the ``CA/OR/WA - Mexico'' 
stock has been renamed the ``Eastern North Pacific'' stock, reflecting 
increased knowledge of the whale's range and movements. In the past, 
the PBR level for Hawaiian monk seals was listed as zero, assuming that 
the Endangered Species Act took precedence in the management of this 
stock. However, this statement was incorrect, and NMFS proposes to 
change the PBR level to 5 animals.

Electronic Access

    Electronic copies of the SARs are accessible via the Internet at 
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot__res/PR2/Stock__ Assessment__Program/
sars.html.

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    Dated: May 31, 2001.
Wanda L. Cain,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-14406 Filed 6-6-01; 8:45 am]
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