[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 91 (Thursday, May 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27441-27442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11306]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA774


Marine Mammals; File No. 13927

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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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. James H.W. Hain, Associated 
Scientists at Woods Hole, Box 721, Woods Hole, MA 02543, has applied 
for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 13927.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before June 11, 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 home 
page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 13927 
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
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.
    Written comments on this application 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, Conservation and Education 
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: Carrie Hubard or Amy Hapeman, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 13927 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 (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).
    Permit No. 13927, issued on October 19, 2011 (76 FR 67151), 
authorizes the permit holder to take North Atlantic right (Eubalaena 
glacialis) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) during aerial 
and vessel surveys off the U.S. southeast coast. Bottlenose (Tursiops 
truncatus) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) may be 
incidentally harassed during research activities. The field season is 
December through April. The permit is valid through October 31, 2016. 
The permit holder is requesting the permit be amended to increase take 
numbers of North Atlantic right whales from 50 to 100 per year during 
aerial surveys and from ten to 60 per year during vessel surveys. The 
permit holder is not increasing his research effort or asking for 
changes to methodologies, location, species, field season, or permit 
duration. The permit holder is requesting the increase because the take 
numbers he originally requested and is currently authorized do not 
allow him to conduct his research as planned. Without the increases, a 
few groups of whales could exhaust his take numbers. As a result, he 
would have to end his field seasons prematurely and would lose the 
opportunity to collect data on whales only observed at the end of the 
season.
    A draft supplemental environmental assessment (SEA) 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 permit. The draft SEA is available for review and 
comment simultaneous with the scientific research permit application.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.


[[Page 27442]]


    Dated: May 7, 2012.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-11306 Filed 5-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P