[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 213 (Thursday, November 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68161-68162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28550]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA626


Marine Mammals; File Nos. 16163, 16160, and 15569

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of applications.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Northwest Fisheries Science 
Center (NWFSC, Dr. M. Bradley Hanson, Principal Investigator) [File No. 
16163], 2725 Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112-2097; The Whale 
Museum (Jenny Atkinson, Responsible Party) [File No. 16160], PO Box 
945, Friday Harbor, WA 98250; and The Center for Whale Research (CWR; 
Kenneth C. Balcomb III, Responsible Party) [File No. 15569], PO Box 
1577, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, have applied in due form for permits to 
conduct research on marine mammals.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before December 5, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents are available for 
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the 
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species 
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File 
No. 16163, 16160, 16111, and 15569 from the list of available 
applications.
    These documents are also available upon written request or by 
appointment in the following offices: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Written comments on these applications should be submitted to the 
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, at the address listed above. 
Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or by 
email to [email protected]. Please include the File No. in the 
subject line of the email comment.
    Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a 
written request to the Chief, Permits and Conservation Division at the 
address listed above. The request should set forth the specific reasons 
why a hearing on this application would be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The following Analysts at (301) 427-
8401: Joselyd Garcia-Reyes [for File No. 16160]; Laura Morse [for File 
No. 16163]; and Jennifer Skidmore [for File Nos. 15569, 16160, 16163].

[[Page 68162]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permits 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.), and the 
regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222-226).
    Each application is summarized below. For specific take numbers of 
each species, please refer to the associated application.
    File No. 16163: Northwest Fisheries Science Center, requests a 
permit to conduct scientific research on thirty seven species of 
cetaceans and unidentified mesoplodon and baleen species in all U.S. 
and international waters in the Pacific Ocean, including waters of 
Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. Seven of the 37 
species to be targeted for research are listed as endangered or have a 
stock listed as endangered: blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), fin 
whale (B. physalus), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), North 
Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica), sei whale (B. borealis), 
killer whale (Orcinus orca) Southern Resident stock, and sperm whale 
(Physeter macrocephalus). The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) 
Hawaiian insular stock is proposed for listing under the ESA. Seven 
species of pinnipeds may be incidentally harassed from research 
activities, including three species listed as endangered: Steller sea 
lions (Eumetopias jubatus), Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus 
townsendi), and Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi). The 
purposes of the proposed research are to study: (1) Abundance, 
population structure, social organization, fecundity, and mortality; 
(2) Distribution, seasonal movements, and habitat use; (3) Responses to 
anthropogenic impacts; (4) Health assessment including contaminant 
burdens, breath and fecal borne pathogens; and (5) Prey availability 
including prey selection and energetics. Harassment of all species of 
cetaceans may occur through vessel approach for sighting surveys, 
photographic identification, behavioral research, opportunistic 
sampling (breath, sloughed skin, fecal material, and prey remains), 
acoustic imaging with echosounders, and aerial surveys. Twenty seven 
cetacean species and unidentified mesoplodon species would be biopsied, 
dart, and/or suction-cup tagged. Ultrasound sampling would be directed 
at killer whales including the Southern Resident stock. Active acoustic 
playback studies would be directed at Southern Resident killer whales. 
Import and export of marine mammal prey specimens, sloughed skin, fecal 
and breath samples obtained is requested for research purposes. 
Research would occur over a five-year period.
    File No. 16160: The Whale Museum requests a five year permit to 
study marine mammals in the inland waters of Washington State. The 
purpose of the proposed research is to monitor and record vessel 
activities around marine mammal species routinely encountered by 
commercial and recreational vessels. This research would contribute to 
a long-term data set (Orca Master) that has provided critical 
information on characterizing annual vessel trends around Southern 
Resident killer whales and an evaluation of the effectiveness of 
federal, state and local marine wildlife guidelines and regulations 
through the Soundwatch program. Research methods would include close 
vessel approach for photo-identification, behavioral observation, and 
monitoring. The main focus species are killer whales from the Southern 
Resident stock. Additionally, Pacific white-sided dolphins 
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli), 
harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), eastern gray whale (Eschrichtius 
robustus), humpback whale, killer whale, and minke whale (B. 
acutorostrata) may be harassed.
    File No. 15569: The Center for Whale Research requests a five-year 
permit to continue research currently authorized under Permit No. 532-
1822-02 with the goal of determining the population size and structure 
of the ESA-listed Southern Resident killer whales and other ecotypes of 
killer whales throughout their range in the Eastern North Pacific 
Ocean. The core area of research will be the inland marine waters of 
Washington State, but the study area will opportunistically include the 
wider area of the coastal eastern North Pacific from the southern 
boundary of California to Alaskan waters east of Kodiak Island, 
including all territorial waters up to 200 nautical miles offshore. 
Research methods would primarily involve photo-identification of 
individuals and behavioral observations, but other benign techniques 
such as fecal sampling and prey sampling in trail of whales, remote 
measuring (aerial and laser techniques), and passive acoustic recording 
will be conducted. Other non-target species that may be 
opportunistically taken include 17 cetacean species and four pinnipeds 
species. Those species that are listed as endangered include the blue 
whale, fin whale, sei whale, humpback whale, and North Pacific right 
whale, in addition to the threatened eastern stock of Steller sea 
lions.
    A draft environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared in 
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), to examine whether significant environmental 
impacts could result from issuance of the proposed scientific research 
permits. The draft EA is available for review and comment simultaneous 
with the scientific research permit applications.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

Documents May Be Reviewed in the Following Locations

    Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone (301) 713-2289; fax (301) 427-2521;
    Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Bldg. 
1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone (206) 526-6150; fax (206) 526-6426;
    Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone 
(907) 586-7221; fax (907) 586-7249;
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018; and
    Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, 
Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808) 973-2935; fax (808) 973-2941.

    Dated: October 28, 2011.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-28550 Filed 11-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P