[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]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P