[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 144 (Friday, July 26, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48881-48882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19001]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 071902D]


Marine Mammals; Permit No. 473-1433-02, Permit No. 662-1345-01, 
and Permit No. 545-1488-00

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

ACTION: Receipt of applications to amend permits.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Janice Straley, Assistant 
Professor of Marine Biology, University of Southeast Alaska, 1332 
Seward Avenue, Sitka, Alaska 99835-9498; Dena Matkin, P.O. Box 22, 
Gustavus, Alaska 99826; and The North Gulf Oceanic Society, SPWS Bldg., 
3776 Lake Avenue, Suite 204, Homer, AK 99603 (Principal Investigator: 
Craig O. Matkin) have requested to take the following species of marine 
mammals for scientific research purposes: Steller sea lions (Eumetopias 
jubatus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae, minke whales 
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata), harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), 
Dall's porpoise (Phocoinoides dalli), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), 
gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), Pacific white-sided dolphins 
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) and Northern fur seals (Callorhinus 
ursinus).
    The permit holders are each requesting identical annual takes for 
the above species to collect dead parts and incidentally harass during 
killer whale predation studies.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments on the new applications, amendment 
requests or Environmental Assessment must be received on or before 
August 26, 2002.

ADDRESSES: The applications, amendment requests and related documents, 
and the Environmental Assessment are available for review upon written 
request, by downloading from the internet, or by appointment in the 
following office(s):
    Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 
20910, (301) 713-2289, or the Division's web page at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
prot__res/PR1/Permits/pr1permits__review.html; and
    Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone 
(907) 586-7221; fax (907) 586-7249.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Lewandowski or Trevor Spradlin, 
301/713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permits and amendments are 
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.), the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting 
of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226), and the 
Fur Seal Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).

Applications to Amend Permits

    Permit No. 473-1433-02, originally issued to Jan Straley December 
12, 1997 (62 FR 67052) and amended on October 7, 1999 and February 16, 
2001 (66 FR 11274), authorizes the annual take of humpback whales, 
killer whales, minke whales, gray whales, and fin whales (B. physalus) 
by photo-identification. Additionally, the permit authorizes the take 
of sperm whales (Physeter catodon) by photo-identification and suction 
cup tagging. The objective of the research is to develop long-term 
sighting histories of individual whales to assess stock structure, life 
history parameters, feeding behaviors, social behaviors of feeding 
populations, and population estimates.
    Permit No. 662-1345-01, originally issued to Dena Matkin on May 30, 
1997 (62 FR 13368) and amended on June 21, 2002 (67 FR 43283), 
authorizes the annual take of killer whales and humpback whales by 
photo-identification. The purpose of the research is to continue long-
term, year-

[[Page 48882]]

round photo-identification work in Southern Alaska to define the 
population size, structure and range of killer whales, and to obtain 
identification of photographs of humpback whales opportunistically in 
conjunction with the killer whale research.
    Permit No. 545-1488-00, originally issued to the North Gulf Society 
(Principal Investigator: Craig Matkin) on April 30, 1999 (64 FR 24592), 
authorizes the annual take of killer whales by photo-identification, 
biopsy sampling and incidental harassment. The purposes of the 
authorized research is to study killer whale population analyses, 
describe mating systems and social structures in well-known resident 
pods and analyze blubber samples for contaminants and genetic studies.
    NOAA environmental review procedures provide that scientific 
research permits are generally categorically excluded from the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 
requirements to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) or 
environmental impact statement (EIS). However, because of the magnitude 
and intensity of proposed research on Steller sea lions, which is 
largely related to the recent funding opportunities (see 66 CFR 15842), 
and the intense public interest in this species, NMFS prepared an EA to 
consider the scope of Steller sea lion research activities. NMFS has 
determined that the current applicants' proposed research activities 
are consistent with those activities previously considered in the EA 
which resulted in a finding of no significant impact. The EA has been 
made available on the Permits, Conservation and Education Division 
website listed previously.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of these applications to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: July 19, 2002.
Eugene T. Nitta,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-19001 Filed 7-25-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S