[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52594-52595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-25981]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 100501A]


Marine Mammals; File No. 655-1652-00

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

ACTION: Receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Scott D. Kraus, Ph.D., Edgerton 
Research Laboratory, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 
02110-3309, has applied in due form for a permit to take North Atlantic 
right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before 
November 15, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The application 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 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone (301) 713-2289; fax (301) 713-0376;
    Northeast Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-
2298; phone (978) 281-9200; fax (978) 281-9371; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. 
Petersburg, FL 33702-2432; phone (727) 570-5301; fax (727) 570-5320.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Johnson or Tammy Adams (301) 713-
2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended 
(MMPA; 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 of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the 
regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222-226).
    The applicant proposes to take up to 350 right whales in the 
Northern Atlantic population annually for a 5-year period. Taking will 
involve photo-identification, biopsy darting, ultrasound measurements, 
suction-cup tagging, acoustic playbacks and radio tagging of live 
whales, biological and pathological sample collection from dead whales. 
The objectives are: to monitor the health and status of the population 
by annually documenting as many individuals as possible, identifying 
skin and body condition, documenting anthropogenic scarring, 
identifying calf production, tracking calving intervals and birth rates 
of individual females, identifying sex, age, and genetic patterns in 
movement, behavior, and habitat use, documenting rates and causes of 
mortality, examining hormone and stress levels, and examining behavior 
and association data for trends over time; and to minimize the effects 
of human activities on the survival of right whales by developing 
``whale-safe'' fishing gear and methods, reducing the impacts of 
shipping activities on right whales, and by testing hypotheses on the 
potential links between contaminants, biotoxins, food supply, 
nutrition, global warming, acoustic disturbance, and habitat loss, and 
the decline in reproduction of right whales.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be mailed to the Chief, Permits and Documentation 
Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals 
requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons why a 
hearing on this particular request would be appropriate.
    Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301)713-0376, 
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period. Please 
note that comments will not be accepted by e-mail or by other 
electronic media.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.


[[Page 52595]]


    Dated: October 10, 2001.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-25981 Filed 10-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S