[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 107 (Monday, June 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 32306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8675]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 052606A]


Draft Conservation Plan for the Pribilof Islands Northern Fur 
Seal

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), 
NMFS has revised its conservation plan for northern fur seals 
(Callorhinus ursinus). The goal of the draft plan is to promote the 
recovery of northern fur seals to their optimum sustainable population 
levels. NMFS solicits public comments on this draft conservation plan.

DATES: Comments and information must be received by August 4, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The draft conservation plan is available on the Internet at 
the following address: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/seals/fur.htm. Alternatively, copies of the draft conservation plan may 
be reviewed and/or copied at the NMFS, Protected Resources Division, 
222 W. 7th Ave., 43, Anchorage, AK, 99513; or at the Alaska 
Regional Office, Protected Resources Division, 709 W. 9th St., P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802. Comments on the draft conservation plan should 
be sent to the above addresses. Comments also may be submitted via e-
mail to [email protected] or via fax to (907) 586-7557.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Williams, NOAA/NMFS, Alaska 
Region, Anchorage Field Office, (907) 271 5006, or Kaja Brix, NOAA/
NMFS, Alaska Region, (907) 586 7235.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMPA requires NMFS to prepare a 
conservation plan to promote the conservation and recovery of any 
species or stock designated as depleted. On June 17, 1988, the National 
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) designated the Pribilof Islands, Alaska 
(St. Paul and St. George Islands), population of northern fur seals 
depleted under the MMPA. NMFS originally published a conservation plan 
for northern fur seals in June 1993. The original plan identified 7 
major areas of monitoring and research and recommended conservation 
actions coordinated among the agencies and entities with activities in 
the area. In the 13 years since the plan was completed, population 
numbers have changed and additional action items have been recommended 
or implemented.
    The Pribilof Islands population has declined since the depleted 
listing. Between 1998 and 2004 estimated pup production declined at 6.2 
percent per year on St. Paul Island and at 4.5 percent per year on St. 
George Island. The 2004 estimate of pup production on St. Paul Island 
is comparable with the level observed in 1921, while on St. George it 
is below the level observed in 1916. Recent satellite telemetry studies 
estimate lactating female and juvenile male northern fur seals foraging 
areas in the Bering Sea. These studies also suggest separation of 
Bering Sea foraging areas based on the Pribilof breeding area of 
departure. A preliminary population estimate of 721,935 has been 
calculated for 2005 (Angliss in prep).
    The conservation plan is an update of the plan prepared in 1993 and 
delineates reasonable actions necessary to promote recovery of the 
depleted Eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals. NMFS developed 
and presents a conservation strategy in the conservation plan to guide 
Federal and other actions towards the goal of recovering this stock of 
northern fur seals. The objectives of the conservation strategy are:
    (1) Identify and eliminate or mitigate the cause or causes of human 
related mortality of the Eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals;
    (2) Assess and avoid or mitigate adverse effects of human related 
activities on or near the Pribilof Islands and other habitat essential 
to the survival and recovery of the Eastern Pacific stock of northern 
fur seals;
    (3) Continue and, as necessary, expand research or management 
programs to monitor trends and detect natural or human-related causes 
of change in the northern fur seal population and habitats essential to 
its survival and recovery; and
    (4) Coordinate and assess the implementation of the conservation 
plan, based on implementation of conservation actions and completion of 
high priority studies.Conservation actions and study recommendations 
are included for each factor that may be affecting northern fur seals. 
The goal of this conservation plan will be met when the Eastern Pacific 
northern fur seal stock is at an abundance level that justifies their 
redesignation as a non-depleted stock. NMFS solicits public comments on 
this draft revision of the conservation plan for northern fur seals.

    Dated: May 30, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-8675 Filed 6-2-06; 8:45 am]
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