[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3015-3016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1378]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 120302E]


Marine Mammals; File No. 848-1695

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 the Marine Mammal Research 
Program, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu Laboratory, 2570 
Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822 (Principal Investigator, Dr. Bud 
Antonelis), has applied in due form for a permit to take Hawaiian monk 
seals (Monachus schauinslandi) for purposes of scientific research and 
enhancement.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before 
February 21, 2003.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request 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; phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)713-0376;
    Assistant Administrator for Protected Resources, Southwest Region, 
NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; 
phone (562)980-4020; fax (562)980-4027; and
    Protected Species Program Coordinator, Pacific Islands Area Office, 
NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm, 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone 
(808)973-2935; fax (808)973-2941.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Ruth Johnson, (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 parts 222-226).
    The applicant proposes to take Hawaiian monk seals over a five year 
period for purposes of 1) population assessment (monitoring, tagging 
and retagging, bleach marking, genetics analyses) to determine 
survivorship,

[[Page 3016]]

reproductive rates, pup production, incidence and causes of injury or 
mortality, and abundance; 2) disease and health assessment (health 
screening and treatment of ill animals, necropsies, analyses of 
parasites, dietary analyses) to gain information on pathogens and other 
factors that affect individual animals; and 3) recovery actions 
(relocations and translocations, adult male removals, and 
disentanglements) to enhance the survival of the population.
    Annual takes are summarized as follows: Up to 1500 seals may be 
disturbed up to three times during ground monitoring on the Hawaiian 
Archipelago and Johnston Atoll. Up to 50 seals may be disturbed up to 
10 times during aerial surveys in the Main Hawaiian Islands and 
adjacent islets, Kaula Rock, Necker Island, and Nihoa Island. Up to 416 
seals (excluding lactating females and nursing pups) may be restrained, 
flipper and PIT tagged with flipper tissue plugs retained for genetics 
analyses, swab samples, and morphometrics taken; and up to 100 may be 
restrained, retagged, with flipper tissue plugs retained, swab samples 
and morphometrics taken. Up to 1500 seals may be bleach marked up to 
two times. Tagging and bleach marking may occur on the Hawaiian 
Archipelago and Johnston Atoll.
    Up to 20 healthy seals (excluding lactating females and nursing 
pups) may be restrained, sedated, sampled (morphometrics, blood, 
blubber biopsy, and swabs), and instrumented with satellite and VHF 
transmitters (restraint and sampling may occur up to two times if 
animals subsequently show signs of illness) on the Main Hawaiian 
Islands. Up to 30 unhealthy seals (excluding lactating females and 
nursing pups) may be restrained, sedated, medically treated on site, 
and sampled as above (sedation, extent of sampling, and treatment will 
be at discretion of consulting veterinarian) up to two times in the 
Hawaiian Archipelago. Humane euthanasia may be performed on up to five 
severely debilitated or moribund seals at the discretion of the 
attending veterinarian.
    Up to five nursing pups who have suckled less than half their 
nursing period and have lost contact with their mother may be 
restrained, swab samples taken, and relocated to a foster mother. Up to 
25 weaned pups located in an area determined to be of high risk of 
mortality or areas of high human activity, may be restrained, swab 
samples taken, and relocated to a safer area. Up to 20 weaned pup and/
or juvenile seals in an area of poor juvenile survival may be captured, 
restrained, sedated, sampled (morphometrics, blood, blubber biopsy, and 
swabs), temporarily held, medically treated, translocated to an island 
or atoll with higher juvenile survival, and released. All pup and 
juvenile relocations may occur on the Hawaiian Archipelago. Up to 10 
adult male seals on the Hawaiian Archipelago that are known to have 
caused mortality to nursing pups, weaned pups, or immature seals may be 
captured, restrained, sedated, sampled (blood, biopsy, swabs), and 
relocated to the Main Hawaiian Islands or Johnston Atoll, placed in 
permanent captivity, or humanely euthanized. Up to 15 seals of any age 
or sex may be captured, disentangled, and released on the Hawaiian 
Archipelago or Johnston Atoll, in cooperation with the Marine Mammal 
Health and Stranding Response Program.
    An unlimited number of seal carcasses may be necropsied and tissues 
analyzed in cooperation with the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding 
Response Program, an unlimited number of parts (molted fur/skin, 
placentae) salvaged, and an unlimited number of scat and spew samples 
may be collected at haul out sites along the Hawaiian Archipelago. An 
unlimited number of specimens (hard and soft parts including but not 
limited to blood serum, blubber biopsy, and placentae) may be exported 
to countries (including but not limited to Canada, the Netherlands, 
Scotland, and Australia) for scientific analyses related to health 
assessment of monk seals; samples not used in analyses may be re-
imported. An unlimited number of specimens (hard and soft parts) from 
Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) may be imported to the 
U.S. and re-exported to the country of origin for opportunistic 
research related to the conservation of monk seals. Up to 200 monk 
seals may be incidentally disturbed up to two times during the research 
and enhancement activities. Up to 140 adult green sea turtles (Chelonia 
mydas) may be incidentally disturbed during research and enhancement 
activities. Up to five accidental mortalities of monk seals that are 
captured and sedated are requested over the five year period.
    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, Conservation and 
Education 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.

    Dated: January 15, 2003.
Eugene T. Nitta,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-1378 Filed 1-21-03; 8:45 am]
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