[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33198-33199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13575]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA602


Marine Mammals; File No. 16019

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 GeoMarine, Inc. (Responsible 
Party: Suzanne Bates; Principal Investigator: Amy Whitt), 2201 K 
Avenue, Suite A2, Plano, TX 75074, has applied for an amendment to 
Scientific Research Permit No. 16109.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before July 5, 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. 16109 
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;
Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; 
phone (978) 281-9328; fax (978) 281-9394; 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 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: Joselyd Garcia-Reyes or Carrie Hubard, 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 16109 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 222-226).
    Permit No. 16109, issued on May 3, 2012 (77 FR 27719), authorizes 
takes of 35 species of cetaceans, four species of pinnipeds, and five 
species of sea turtles from New Jersey to North Carolina for scientific 
research. The research involves harassment by vessel approach during 
shipboard transect surveys. Eleven of the 44 species targeted for 
research are listed as threatened or endangered: Blue whale 
(Balaenoptera musculus), fin whale (B. physalus),

[[Page 33199]]

humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), North Atlantic right whale 
(Eubalaena glacialis), sei whale (B. borealis), sperm whale (Physeter 
macrocephalus), green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill sea turtle 
(Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), 
Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), and leatherback sea 
turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The permit expires May 15, 2017.
    The permit holder is requesting the permit be amended to increase 
sei whale takes from 10 to 50 per year based on reviewer comments from 
the Notice of Receipt published on August 17, 2011 (76 FR 51001). The 
purpose of the take increase is to gain more information on sei whale 
habitat use and distribution.
    An environmental assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant 
Impact (FONSI) (signed May 1, 2012) prepared for the permit has 
analyzed the requested 50 sei whale annual takes. NMFS determined that 
50 sei whale takes would not significantly impact the quality of the 
human environment and that preparation of an environmental impact 
statement was not required. The EA and FONSI are available upon 
request. A Biological Opinion was also prepared for the permit which 
analyzed 50 sei whale takes (signed May 1, 2012) and concluded that the 
research would not jeopardize threatened and endangered species or 
destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. However, the permit 
authorizes 10 annual takes of sei whales until a new FR notice could be 
published to allow the public opportunity to comment on the higher take 
number.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the amendment request to the 
Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

     Dated: May 30, 2012.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-13575 Filed 6-4-12; 8:45 am]
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