[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 220 (Monday, November 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70759-70760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28841]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC554


Marine Mammals; File No. 17952

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a major amendment to Permit No. 
17952-01 has been issued to Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., Department of 
Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, 
Santa Cruz, CA 95064.

ADDRESSES: The permit amendment and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Rosa L. Gonz[aacute]lez, 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 17, 2015, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (80 FR 49210) that a request for an amendment to 
Permit No. 17952-01 to conduct research on California sea lions 
(Zalophus californianus) had been submitted by the above-named 
applicant. The

[[Page 70760]]

requested permit amendment has been issued under the authority of the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 
seq.), and the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine 
mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    Permit No. 17952 authorized long-term research on California sea 
lions to study their foraging, diving, energetics, food habits, and at 
sea distribution through capture, sampling, and tagging California sea 
lions throughout their U.S. range (California, Oregon and Washington). 
The permit also authorized harassment of California sea lions, harbor 
seals (Phoca vitulina), and northern elephant seals (Mirounga 
angustirostris) incidental to research activities, unintentional 
mortalities of California sea lions, and import and export of pinniped 
samples. A minor amendment (Permit No. 17952-01) included attachment of 
cameras to instrumentation deployed on sea lions and intubation during 
gas anesthesia.
    Permit No. 17952-02, issued on September 30, 2015, includes 
authorization to (1) add remote darting as an approved capture method 
with use of various sedative drugs for adult and juvenile California 
sea lions, (2) increase incidental harassment takes of non-target 
California sea lions, (3) include incidental harassment takes for the 
Eastern stock of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), and (4) 
include takes for capture and disentanglement of California sea lions. 
The authorized takes are delineated in the amendment application and 
amended permit and are authorized for the duration of the permit. The 
permit expires June 7, 2018.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has been made that the 
activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

     Dated: October 29, 2015.
Julia Harrison,
 Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-28841 Filed 11-13-15; 8:45 am]
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