[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33477-33478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14041]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 052703G]


Marine Mammals; File Nos. 782-1702, 782-1708, 782-1719, and 358-
1585-02

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

ACTION: Receipt of applications for permits and application for permit 
amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the following applicants have 
applied in due form for a permit or permit amendment to take marine 
mammals for purposes of scientific research:
    File Nos. 782-1702, -1708, and -1719 - National Marine Fisheries 
Service [NMFS], National Marine Mammal Laboratory [NMML], 7600 Sand 
Point Way, N.E. Seattle, WA 98115; and
    File No. 358-1585-02 - Alaska Department of Fish and Game [ADF&G], 
Division of Wildlife Conservation, P.O. Box 25536, Juneau, AK 99802-
5526.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments on the new applications and 
amendment request must be received on or before July 7, 2003.

ADDRESSES: The applications 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; and
    Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, Northwest 
Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 
98115-0700; phone (206)526-6150; fax (206)526-6426;
    Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, Alaska 
Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone (907)586-
7235; fax (907)586-7012;
    Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, Southwest 
Region,

[[Page 33478]]

NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; 
phone (562)980-4020; fax (562)980-4027. Only Files 782-1708 and 782-
1719 are available in the Southwest Region.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Johnson, Carrie Hubard, or Amy 
Sloan 301/713-2289, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permits and amendment 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 222-227), and the Fur Seal 
Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).

Applications for Permit

    The NMML has submitted three applications to take marine mammals 
for scientific research.
    (1) Application 782-1702 - NMML proposes to conduct aerial, ground 
and boat surveys of pinnipeds; capture and release of harbor seals 
(Phoca vitulina), California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), 
Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), and northern elephant seals 
(Mirounga angustirostris). Aerial, ground and boat surveys are proposed 
annually for stock assessment of these species. Capture and release of 
harbor seals will include tagging and branding for long term 
identification of individuals for information on reproductive success, 
survival, and longevity; blood sampling for disease screening; blubber 
biopsy for contaminant analysis; tissue sampling for genetics and for 
fatty acid analysis; some seals will be instrumented with VHF radio 
transmitters and/or Time-Depth Recorders (TDR) or satellite tags or 
sonic tags to document movements, activity and foraging patterns. 
Capture and release of California sea lions will include tagging and 
branding for long-term identification of individuals to determine 
predation rates on endangered salmonids; blood sampling for disease 
screening; blubber biopsy for contaminant analysis; and instrumentation 
with VHF radio transmitters, TDRs, or satellite tags to document 
movements and migration rates. Capture and release of Steller sea lions 
will include tagging and branding for long-term identification of 
individuals to determine predation rates on endangered salmonids; blood 
sampling for disease screening; tissue sampling for genetic analysis 
and instrumentation with VHF radio transmitters, TDRs, or satellite 
tags to document movements and migration rates. Tagging of northern 
elephant seals will document survival, movements, and site fidelity. In 
addition, scat will be collected from harbor seal, California sea lion, 
and Steller sea lion haulout areas for food habits analysis. Activities 
will occur in the States of Washington, Oregon and California.
    (2) Application 782-1708 - NMML proposes to take Northern fur seals 
during scientific research. Seals will be captured, tagged, sampled and 
annual censuses will be conducted. All of this work is essential for: 
(1) monitoring the status and trends of the northern fur seal 
population, (2) evaluating the condition of animals from each cohort 
(health and strength of year-class), (3) monitoring the diet, and (4) 
documenting the movement patterns, foraging behavior, and essential 
foraging habitat of various age and sex classes of fur seals. This is a 
continuation of work authorized in Permit No. 782-1455. The information 
collected under this permit will be important for assessing the 
recovery of this depleted species and for evaluating management 
actions.
    (3) Application 782-1719 - NMML is requesting authority to take 
marine mammals during-MMPA mandated stock assessment activities. NMML 
proposes to conduct Level B harassment during overflights, vessel-based 
observations, and approaches for photography, and by Level A harassment 
when doing biopsy sampling or tagging. This permit application is 
divided into three Projects: Project I is specifically for aerial 
surveys, including circling animals for making identifications, counts, 
or photography; Project II covers vessel surveys, including transects 
and approaches for photography and biopsies; Project III is in regard 
to tagging through remote deployment (via crossbow, gun, or pole) or 
capture, holding and release.

Amendment request

    The ADF&G requests an amendment to permit 358-1585-02 to conduct 
the following activities on harbor seals: (1) permanently mark (hot 
brand) all female seals that receive VHF implants to enable 
identification from a distance, without disturbance, to determine 
whether a radio-tagged female has a pup; (2) place PIT tags in all 
live-captured seals to identify recaptured individuals while in the 
field to ensure that historic data are compared with subsequent samples 
for those individuals to assess changes in health or contaminant loads 
over time; (3) conduct transrectal ultrasound to diagnose pregnancy in 
seals, a technique that has been safely used in domestic and wild 
ungulates for several decades; (4) attach small sonic depth tags to 
seal pelage to facilitate real-time tracking of seal foraging behavior 
while simultaneously conducting acoustical surveys of prey 
availability; and (5) attach an Underwater Timed Picture Recorder 
(UTPR), equipped with a time depth recorder, to some seals for 24-hour 
periods. These data will be used in a study of optimal foraging 
behavior under predation risk and will allow acquisition of detailed 
dive data to predict the probability of encounter with predators for 
different age classes of seals; from the video data, prey selection, 
and pursuit and handling times can be readily calculated.
    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: May 30, 2003.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-14041 Filed 6-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S