[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 189 (Wednesday, September 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58705-58707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24762]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE122


Draft 2015 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports

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

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional 
marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) in accordance with the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act. SARs for marine mammals in the Alaska, 
Atlantic, and Pacific regions were revised according to new 
information. NMFS solicits public comments on the draft 2015 SARs.

DATES: Comments must be received by December 29, 2015.

ADDRESSES: The 2015 draft SARs are available in electronic form via the 
Internet at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/draft.htm.
    Copies of the Alaska Regional SARs may be requested from Marcia 
Muto, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., 
BIN 15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070.
    Copies of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Regional SARs 
may be requested from Peter Corkeron, Northeast Fisheries Science 
Center, 166 Water St., Woods Hole, MA 02543.
    Copies of the Pacific Regional SARs may be requested from Jim 
Carretta, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8604 La Jolla Shores 
Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037-1508.
    You may submit comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2015-0108, by any 
of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov.
    Mail: Send comments or requests for copies of reports to: Chief, 
Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226, Attn: Stock Assessments.
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without 
change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, 
address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required 
fields, if you wish to remain anonymous). You may submit attachments to 
electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF 
file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Bettridge, Office of Protected 
Resources, 301-427-8402, [email protected]; Marcia Muto 206- 
526-4026, [email protected], regarding Alaska regional stock 
assessments; Peter Corkeron, 508-495-2191, [email protected], 
regarding Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean regional stock 
assessments; or Jim Carretta, 858-546-7171, [email protected], 
regarding Pacific regional stock assessments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 117 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) (16 U.S.C. 
1361 et seq.) requires NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(FWS) to prepare stock assessments for each stock of marine mammals 
occurring in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States, 
including the Exclusive

[[Page 58706]]

Economic Zone. These reports must contain information regarding the 
distribution and abundance of the stock, population growth rates and 
trends, estimates of annual human-caused mortality and serious injury 
from all sources, descriptions of the fisheries with which the stock 
interacts, and the status of the stock. Initial reports were completed 
in 1995.
    The MMPA requires NMFS and FWS to review the SARs at least annually 
for strategic stocks and stocks for which significant new information 
is available, and at least once every three years for non-strategic 
stocks. The term ``strategic stock'' means a marine mammal stock: (A) 
for which the level of direct human-caused mortality exceeds the 
potential biological removal level; (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 (ESA) 
within the foreseeable future; or (C) which is listed as a threatened 
species or endangered species under the ESA. NMFS and the FWS are 
required to revise a SAR if the status of the stock has changed or can 
be more accurately determined. NMFS, in conjunction with the Alaska, 
Atlantic, and Pacific independent Scientific Review Groups (SRGs), 
reviewed the status of marine mammal stocks as required and revised 
reports in the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regions to incorporate new 
information.
    NMFS solicits public comments on the draft 2015 SARs.

Alaska Reports

    In the Alaska region, SARs for 31 Alaska stocks (15 ``strategic'', 
16 ``non-strategic'') were updated. All stocks were reviewed and the 
following stocks were revised for 2015: Steller sea lion, western U.S.; 
northern fur seal, eastern Pacific; bearded seal, Alaska; ringed seal, 
Alaska; beluga whale, Cook Inlet; killer whale, AT1 transient; harbor 
porpoise, Southeast Alaska; harbor porpoise, Gulf of Alaska; harbor 
porpoise, Bering Sea; sperm whale, North Pacific; humpback whale, 
Western North Pacific; humpback whale, Central North Pacific; fin 
whale, Northeast Pacific; right whale, Eastern North Pacific; bowhead 
whale, Western Arctic; harbor seal (12 stocks); ribbon seal, Alaska; 
Pacific white-sided dolphin, Central North Pacific; Dall's porpoise, 
Alaska; and minke whale, Alaska. Information on the remaining Alaska 
region stocks can be found in the final 2014 reports (Allen and 
Angliss, 2015).
    Most revisions to the Alaska SARs included updates of abundance 
and/or mortality and serious injury estimates, including revised 
abundance estimates for the 12 stocks of harbor seals and for the two 
stocks of humpback whales. No changes in stock status occurred.

Atlantic Reports

    In the Atlantic region (including the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of 
Mexico, and U.S. territories in the Caribbean), 43 reports for 69 
stocks were updated. Of the updated stocks, 51 stocks are 
``strategic,'' and 18 are ``non-strategic.'' Two common bottlenose 
dolphin stocks, the Gulf of Mexico northern coastal and Gulf of Mexico 
western coastal, changed in status from strategic to non-strategic. 
This change is a technical correction, and not due to a change in 
abundance, PBR, mortality estimates, or ESA listing status.
    All stocks were reviewed and reports for the following strategic 
stocks were revised for 2015: North Atlantic right whale; humpback 
whale, Gulf of Maine; fin whale, Western North Atlantic (WNA); sei 
whale, Nova Scotia; sperm whale, Gulf of Mexico; Bryde's whale, Gulf of 
Mexico; and the following common bottlenose dolphin stocks: WNA 
northern migratory coastal; WNA southern migratory coastal; WNA South 
Carolina (SC)/Georgia (GA) coastal; WNA northern Florida coastal; WNA 
central Florida coastal; Northern NC Estuarine System; Southern NC 
Estuarine System; Northern SC Estuarine System; Charleston Estuarine 
System; Northern GA/Southern SC Estuarine System; Central GA Estuarine 
System; Southern GA Estuarine System; Jacksonville Estuarine System; 
Indian River Lagoon Estuarine System; Gulf of Mexico bay, sound, and 
estuary (27 stocks) Barataria Bay; Mississippi Sound, Lake Borgne, Bay 
Boudreau; St. Joseph Bay; and Choctawhatchee Bay.
    Reports for the following non-strategic stocks were revised for 
2015: Minke whale, Canadian east coast; Risso's dolphin, WNA; long-
finned pilot whale, WNA; short-finned pilot whale, WNA; short-finned 
pilot whale, Gulf of Mexico; Atlantic white-sided dolphin, WNA; short-
beaked common dolphin, WNA; harbor porpoise, Gulf of Maine/Bay of 
Fundy; harbor seal, WNA; gray seal, WNA; pantropical spotted dolphin, 
Gulf of Mexico; Risso's dolphin, Gulf of Mexico; Atlantic spotted 
dolphin, continental shelf and oceanic; and the following common 
bottlenose dolphin stocks: WNA offshore; Gulf of Mexico continental 
shelf; Gulf of Mexico northern coastal; Gulf of Mexico western coastal; 
and Gulf of Mexico eastern coastal.
    Information on the remaining Atlantic region stocks can be found in 
the final 2014 reports (Waring et al., 2015).
    Most revisions to the Atlantic SARs included updates of abundance 
and/or mortality and serious injury estimates. No changes in stock 
status occurred.

Pacific Reports

    In the Pacific region (waters along the west coast of the United 
States, within waters surrounding the main and Northwest Hawaiian 
Islands, and within waters surrounding U.S. territories in the Western 
Pacific), SARs were revised for 8 stocks under NMFS jurisdiction (5 
``strategic'' and 3 ``non-strategic'' stocks).
    All stocks were reviewed and reports for the following strategic 
stocks were revised for 2015: Hawaiian monk seal; Southern Resident 
killer whale; false killer whale, Main Hawaiian Islands Insular; false 
killer whale, Hawaii Pelagic; and blue whale, Eastern North Pacific. 
Reports for the following non-strategic stocks were revised for 2015: 
false killer whale, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; Bryde's whale, 
Eastern Tropical Pacific; and Northern fur seal, California. 
Information on the remaining Pacific region stocks can be found in the 
final 2014 reports (Carretta et al., 2015).
    New abundance estimates are available for three stocks in the 
Pacific Islands region (Hawaiian monk seal, Hawaii Pelagic and 
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands false killer whales) and two U.S. west 
coast stocks (Southern Resident killer whale and California northern 
fur seal). The stock range and boundaries of the three Hawaiian stocks 
of false killer whales were recently reevaluated based on new 
information on the occurrence and movements of each stock. The three 
stocks have partially overlapping ranges. No changes in stock status 
occurred.
    A stock assessment report for the Eastern Tropical Pacific stock of 
Bryde's whale has been reinstated into the Pacific reports in response 
to a regular and increasing presence of this species in southern 
California waters. The Eastern Tropical Pacific Bryde's whale report 
last appeared in the Pacific stock assessments in 2007.
    The genus of Hawaiian monk seal has been changed from Monachus to 
Neomonachus to reflect new genetic and skull morphology data.
    The report for Eastern North Pacific blue whales includes new 
information on historic whaling removals, the population's status 
relative to carrying capacity, and risk of ship strikes to the 
population.


[[Page 58707]]


    Dated: September 25, 2015.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-24762 Filed 9-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P