[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25692-25693]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10492]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA840


Marine Mammals; File No. 16479

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for permit amendment.

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[[Page 25693]]

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that The Pacific Whale Foundation 
[Responsible Party: Gregory Kaufman], 300 Maalaea Road, Suite 211, 
Wailuku, HI 96793, has requested a change in Principal Investigator to 
their pending permit application.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before May 31, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The application 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. 16479 from the list of available applications.
    These documents are also available upon written request or by 
appointment in the following offices:
    Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone (301) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376; and
    Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm. 1110, 
Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808) 944-2200; fax (808) 973-2941.
    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: Laura Morse or Joselyd Garcia-Reyes, 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is 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 parts 222-226).
    On November 23, 2011, a notice was published in the Federal 
Register (76 FR 72389) that a request for a permit to conduct research 
on marine mammals had been submitted by the above-named applicant. The 
Pacific Whale Foundation proposes to conduct vessel based research on 
humpback whales in Maui County waters, Hawaii to quantify the potential 
for near misses between vessels and humpback whales, and define the 
probability of `surprise encounters' with humpback whales in relation 
to time of day, environmental variables, vessel behavior, whale 
abundance, and individual sex and age classes. Up to 567 humpback 
whales may be approached annually for photo-identification and 
behavioral observation and all Hawaiian insular false killer whales 
(Pseudorca crassidens) may be incidentally harassed by the research 
activities.
    Under the pending permit application, The Pacific Whale Foundation 
is requesting a change in Principal Investigator (PI) due to personnel 
changes within their organization. They request to have Gregory Kaufman 
be designated as the new PI. No other changes to the permit application 
are requested.

    Dated: April 25, 2012.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-10492 Filed 4-30-12; 8:45 am]
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