[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 206 (Thursday, October 24, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57016-57017]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23230]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XR039
Marine Mammals; File No. 22677
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries
Science Center, Hawaiian monk seal Research Program (Responsible Party,
Charles Littnan), has applied in due form for a permit to conduct
research and
[[Page 57017]]
enhancement activities on Hawaiian monk seals (Neomonachus
schauinslandi).
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or
before November 25, 2019.
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. 22677 from the list of available applications.
These documents are also available 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.
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: Sara Young or Amy Sloan, (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).
The applicant requests a 5-year permit to carry out research and
enhancement activities designed to recover the endangered Hawaiian monk
seal. Activities would occur along beaches and nearshore waters
throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
[NWHI] and main Hawaiian Islands [MHI]) and Johnston Atoll.
Research is intended to identify impediments to recovery, inform
the design of conservation interventions, and evaluate those measures.
Research activities include visual and photographic monitoring,
tagging, pelage bleach/dye marking, health screening, foraging studies,
deworming research, necropsies, tissue sampling, import/export of
parts, behavioral modification research, vocalization studies and
vaccination research.
Enhancement activities are designed to improve the survival and
reproductive success of individual monk seals, with the intent to
improve subpopulation and overall species' status. Enhancement
activities include deworming, translocation, hazing and removal of
aggressive adult male seals that harm or kill other seals,
disentangling, dehooking, medical treatment, behavioral modification,
vaccination, and supplemental feeding of post-release rehabilitated
seals.
Annual number of individual seals to be taken by take type
(annually, unless otherwise specified) could be up to 1,500 for
monitoring, 400 for tagging, 1,200 for bleach/dye marking, 150 for
health screening, 10 moribund seals by euthanasia, 80 instrumentations,
300 for deworming treatments, 80 for acoustic recording, translocations
of nursing pups to birth or foster mothers as warranted (estimated 20
pups), translocations to alleviate risk as warranted (estimated 60
seals), translocations to the NWHI of any age seal in the MHI with
unmanageable behavior to alleviate risk to humans and the seals
involved (as warranted but likely not to exceed 2 per year),
translocation of 20 weaned pups and 30 juvenile/subadults as one-way or
as part of two-stage translocation for enhancement, hazing aggressive
adult males from conspecifics as warranted (estimated 10 seals), 20
adult male removals (including up to 10 lethal removals over five
years), unlimited (i.e., as warranted) disentanglements, dehookings,
necropsies, opportunistic samplings and import/exports (including
import and export of Mediterranean monk seal samples for research and
conservation purposes), 12 seals supplementary fed, 50 seals subject to
behavioral modification, 1,500 seals vaccinated, and 200 incidentally
harassed. Research on captive monk seals to test and validate field
studies is proposed. The applicant also requests the following
unintentional lethal takes or mortalities: Two seals annually not to
exceed four animals in five years during research, two seals annually
not to exceed four weaned pups in five years during enhancement, four
juveniles/subadults not to exceed eight animals in five years during
enhancement, two adult males not to exceed four across five years
during enhancement activities. Up to 500 spinner dolphins (Stenella
longirostris), and 20 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) may be
incidentally harassed annually during research and enhancement
activities.
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that
the activities proposed are consistent with the Preferred Alternative
in the Final Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Actions Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (NMFS 2014), and that issuance of the
permit would not have a significant adverse impact on the human
environment.
Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the application to the Marine
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.
Dated: October 21, 2019.
Julia Marie Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-23230 Filed 10-23-19; 8:45 am]
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