[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 149 (Thursday, August 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 44020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12555]



[[Page 44020]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 072806C]


Marine Mammals; File No. 87-1851

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., Department 
of Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, 
Santa Cruz, CA 95064, has applied for a permit to conduct research on 
pinnipeds in Antarctica and California.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before September 5, 2006.

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)427-2521; and
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax (562)980-4018.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be submitted 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 would be appropriate.
    Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301) 427-2521, 
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period.
    Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for 
providing email comments is [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: 
File No. 87-1851.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan, (301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The permit is requested under the authority 
of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (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 222-226).
    The applicant proposes to conduct two projects over a 5-year 
period. Project I involves research in Antarctica to conduct tagging 
studies and physiological measurements on up to 35 Crabeater seals 
(Lobodon carcinophagus), 35 southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina), 
10 leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx), 10 Weddell seals (Leptonychotes 
weddellii), and five Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) of any age 
annually. Procedures would include capture, sedation, ultrasound, 
morphometrics, isotope and Evans blue dye administration, blood 
sampling, tagging/marking, instrument attachment, stomach lavage, 
specimen collection (whisker, claw, tooth, muscle and blubber biopsy), 
and recapture to remove instruments. An additional 50 juvenile southern 
elephant seals would be captured, weighed, measured, and flipper tagged 
annually. An additional 10 adult leopard seals, 10 adult Weddell seals, 
and 30 adult female southern elephant seals would have flipper tags 
applied annually. Up to 100 additional southern elephant seals and 100 
additional seals of the other four species combined would be harassed 
annually incidental to these activities. The applicant also requests 
unintentional research-related mortality of up to three seals of any of 
these five seal species annually, not to exceed eight seals over the 
five years of the permit. Tissue samples would be imported into the 
United States.
    Project II would involve research on California sea lions (Zalophus 
californianus) to investigate foraging, diving, energetics, food 
habits, and at-sea distribution along the California coast. Procedures 
would include capture, sedation, morphometrics, isotope and Evans blue 
dye administration, blood sampling, tagging/marking, instrument 
attachment, stomach lavage and enema, blubber/muscle biopsy, metabolic 
measurements, stomach temperature telemeters, and milk sampling. Up to 
100 pups/juveniles and 100 adults would be sampled annually, with some 
or all of the procedures performed. Harassment of unlimited numbers of 
California sea lions, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), northern elephant 
seals (Mirounga augustirostris), and northern fur seals (Callorhinus 
ursinus) and up to 20 threatened Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) 
annually incidental to these activities is requested. The applicant 
also requests unintentional research-related mortality of up to five 
California sea lions over the course of the permit.
    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 28, 2006.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-12555 Filed 8-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S