[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 116 (Thursday, June 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28946-28952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14346]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-FHC-2009-N0092; 71490-1351-0000-M2-FY09]


Marine Mammal Protection Act; Stock Assessment Report

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft revised marine mammal stock 
assessment reports for the Pacific walrus stock and two stocks of polar 
bears; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 
as amended (MMPA), and its implementing regulations, we, the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service (Service), have developed draft revised marine 
mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) for the Pacific walrus (Odobenus 
rosmarus divergens) stock and for each of the two polar bear (Ursus 
maritimus) stocks in Alaska: The southern Beaufort Sea polar bear stock 
and the Chukchi/Bering seas polar bear stock. These three SARs are 
available for public review and comment.

DATES: We must receive comments by September 16, 2009.

ADDRESSES: To obtain the SARs for the Pacific walrus or either polar 
bear stock, and to submit comments, see Document Availability and 
Public Comment, respectively, under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosa Meehan, Marine Mammals Management 
Office, (800) 362-5148 (telephone) or [email protected] (e-
mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 28947]]

Background

    Under the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and its implementing 
regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 18, 
we regulate the taking, possession, transportation, purchasing, 
selling, offering for sale, exporting, and importing of marine mammals. 
One of the MMPA's goals is to ensure that stocks of marine mammals 
occurring in waters under U.S. jurisdiction do not experience a level 
of human-caused mortality and serious injury that is likely to cause 
the stock to be reduced below its optimum sustainable population level 
(OSP). OSP is defined as ``the number of animals which will result in 
the maximum productivity of the population or the species, keeping in 
mind the carrying capacity of the habitat and the health of the 
ecosystem of which they form a constituent element.''
    To help accomplish the goal of maintaining marine mammal stocks at 
their OSPs, section 117 of the MMPA requires us and the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) to prepare a SAR for each marine mammal stock 
that occurs in waters under U.S. jurisdiction. A SAR must be based on 
the best scientific information available; therefore, we prepare it in 
consultation with established regional scientific review groups. Each 
SAR must include: (1) A description of the stock and its geographic 
range; (2) a minimum population estimate, maximum net productivity 
rate, and current population trend; (3) an estimate of human-caused 
mortality and serious injury; (4) a description of commercial fishery 
interactions; (5) a categorization of the status of the stock; and (6) 
an estimate of the potential biological removal (PBR) level. The PBR is 
defined as ``the maximum number of animals, not including natural 
mortalities, that may be removed from a marine mammal stock while 
allowing that stock to reach or maintain its OSP.'' The PBR is the 
product of the minimum population estimate of the stock 
(Nmin); one-half the maximum theoretical or estimated net 
productivity rate of the stock at a small population size 
(Rmax); and a recovery factor (Fr) of between 0.1 
and 1.0, which is intended to compensate for uncertainty and unknown 
estimation errors.
    Section 117 of the MMPA also requires us and NMFS to review the 
SARs (a) at least annually for stocks that are specified as strategic 
stocks, (b) at least annually for stocks for which significant new 
information is available, and (c) at least once every 3 years for all 
other stocks.
    A strategic stock is defined in the MMPA as a marine mammal stock 
(a) for which the level of direct human-caused mortality exceeds the 
PBR; (b) which, based on the best available scientific information, is 
declining and is likely to be listed as a threatened species under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; 
ESA), within the foreseeable future; or (c) which is listed as a 
threatened or endangered species under the ESA, or is designated as 
depleted under the MMPA.
    The following table summarizes the information we are now making 
available in the draft revised SARs for the Pacific walrus, the 
southern Beaufort Sea polar bear, and the Chukchi/Bering Seas polar 
bear stocks, listing each stock's Nmin, Rmax, 
Fr, PBR, annual estimated human-caused mortality and serious 
injury, and status. After consideration of any public comments we 
receive, we will revise any or all of these SARs, as appropriate. We 
will publish a notice of availability and summary for each final SAR, 
including responses to comments we received.

  Table 1--Summary: Draft Revised Stock Assessment Reports for the Pacific Walrus, Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bear, and Chukchi/Bering Seas Polar Bear
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                                                                                                       Annual estimated average
                Stock                       Nmin            Rmax             Fr              PBR        human-caused mortality         Stock status
                                                                                                          and serious injury
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Pacific Walrus.......................          15,164            0.08             1.0             607  4,963-5,460.............  Strategic.
Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bear.....           1,397          0.0603             0.5              22  33 (Alaska).............  Strategic.
                                                                                                       21 (Canada).............
Chukchi/Bering Seas Polar Bear.......           2,000          0.0603             0.5              30  37 (Alaska).............  Strategic.
                                                                                                       --(Russia)..............
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Document Availability

Draft Revised SARs for Pacific Walrus, Southern Beaufort Sea Polar 
Bear, and Chukchi/Bering Seas Polar Bear

    You may obtain copies by any one of the following methods:
     Internet: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/walrus/reports.htm (for the walrus stock) and http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/polarbear/reports.htm (for both polar bear stocks).
     Write to or visit (during normal business hours from 8 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday) the Chief, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, 1011 East Tudor 
Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; telephone: (800) 362-3800.

Public Comment

Draft Revised SARs for Pacific Walrus, Southern Beaufort Sea Polar 
Bear, and Chukchi/Bering Seas Polar Bear

    You may submit a written comment by any one of the following 
methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Mail or hand-delivery: Chief, Marine Mammals Management 
Office (see address above).
     Fax: (907) 786-3816.

References

    In accordance with the MMPA, we include in this notice a list of 
the information sources and public reports upon which we based the 
SARs.

Pacific Walrus

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239-247 In Garner, G.W., S.C. Amstrup, J.L. Laake, B.F.J. Manly, 
L.L. McDonald, and D.G. Robertson (eds.), Marine Mammal Survey and 
Assessment Methods. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, 287 pp.
    DeMaster, D.P. 1984. An analysis of a hypothetical population of 
walruses. Pages 77-80 In F.H. Fay and G.A. Fedoseev (eds.), Soviet-
American Cooperative Research on

[[Page 28948]]

Marine Mammals, vol. 1, Pinnipeds. NOAA Technical Report, NMFS 12, 
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In F.H. Fay and G.A. Fedoseev (eds.), Soviet-American Cooperative 
Research on Marine Mammals, vol. 1, Pinnipeds. NOAA Technical 
Report, NMFS 12, 104 pp.
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(Odobenus rosmarus divergens). North American Fauna 74. U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC., 279 pp.
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walruses. Arctic 41(3):239-240.
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Hoover. 1984. Modern populations, migrations, demography, trophics, 
and historical status of the Pacific walrus. Final Report R.U. 
611. NOAA Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment 
Program, Anchorage, AK., 142 pp.
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walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) in the eastern Arctic and Bering Sea. 
Pages 73-85 In V.E. Rodin, A.S. Perlov, A.A. Berzin, G.M. Gavrilov, 
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develop improved survey designs. Pages 75-84 In Garner, G.W., S.C. 
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(eds.), Marine Mammal Survey and Assessment Methods. A. A. Balkema, 
Rotterdam, 287 pp.
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Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bear

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    Authority: The authority for this action is the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et al.).

    Dated: June 9, 2009.
Marvin Moriarty,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E9-14346 Filed 6-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P