[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 123 (Thursday, June 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38010-38011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16218]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 061303A]


Incidental Take of Marine Mammals; Bottlenose Dolphins and 
Spotted Dolphins

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

ACTION: Notice of issuance of letters of authorization.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and 
implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that 4 letters 
of authorization (LOAs) to take bottlenose and spotted dolphins 
incidental to oil and gas structure removal activities were issued.

ADDRESSES: The applications and letters are available for review in the 
following offices: Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, and the Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 
Executive Center Drive N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Skrupky, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, (301) 713-2055, ext. 163.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 
1361 et seq.) directs NMFS to allow, on request, the incidental, but 
not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. 
citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial 
fishing) within a specified geographical region, if certain findings 
are made and regulations are issued. Under the MMPA, the term 
``taking'' means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill or to attempt to 
harass, hunt, capture or kill marine mammals.
    Permission may be granted if NMFS finds, after notification and 
opportunity for public comment, that the taking will have a negligible 
impact on the species or stock(s) of marine mammals and will not have 
an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or 
stock(s) for subsistence uses. In addition, NMFS must prescribe 
regulations that include permissible methods of taking and other means 
effecting the least practicable adverse impact on the species and its 
habitat, and on the availability of the species for subsistence uses, 
paying particular attention to rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of 
similar significance. The regulations must include requirements 
pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. Regulations 
governing the taking of bottlenose and spotted dolphins incidental to 
oil and gas structure removal activities in the Gulf of Mexico were 
published on August 1, 2002 (67 FR 49869), and remain in effect until 
February 2, 2004. Issuance of these letters of authorization are based 
on a finding that
    the total takings will have a negligible impact on the bottlenose 
and spotted dolphin stocks of the Gulf of Mexico.
    Letters of Authorization were issued to:
    (1) Comstock Offshore, LLC, Chase Tower, 600 Travis, Suite 6375, 
Houston, TX 77002, on May 08, 2003;

[[Page 38011]]

    (2) Spinnaker Exploration Company, LLC., 1200 Smith Street, Suite 
800, Houston, TX 77002, on May 22, 2003;
    (3) J.M. Huber Corporation, 11451 Katy Freeway, Suite 400, Houston, 
TX 77079 on May 22, 2003;
    (4) Torch Energy Services, Inc., 1221 Lamar, Suite 1600, Houston, 
TX 77010-3039, on June 13, 2003.

    Dated: June 20, 2003.
Laurie K. Allen,
Acting Office Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-16218 Filed 6-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S