[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 57 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 14431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7351]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 030599B]
Incidental Take of Marine Mammals; Taking of Ringed Seals
Incidental to On-Ice Seismic Activities
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of issuance of a letter of authorization.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as
amended, and with implementing regulations, notification is hereby
given that a letter of authorization to take ringed seals incidental to
on-ice seismic operations in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska was issued on
March 21, 1999, to BP Exploration (Alaska), Anchorage, AK.
DATES: This letter of authorization is effective from March 21, 1999,
through May 31, 1999.
ADDRESSES: The applications and letters are available for review in the
following offices: Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, and Western Alaska Field Office,
NMFS, 701 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99513.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Hollingshead, NMFS, (301)
713-2055 or Brad Smith, Western Alaska Field Office, NMFS, (907) 271-
5006.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.
1361 et seq.) directs NMFS to allow, on request, the incidental, but
not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S.
citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial
fishing) within a specified geographical region, if certain findings
are made by NMFS and regulations are issued. Under the MMPA, the term
``taking'' means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill or to attempt to
harass, hunt, capture or kill marine mammals.
Permission may be granted for periods up to 5 years if NMFS finds,
after notification and opportunity for public comment, that the taking
will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s) of marine
mammals and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the
availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses. In
addition, NMFS must prescribe regulations that include permissible
methods of taking and other means effecting the least practicable
adverse impact on the species and its habitat and on the availability
of the species for subsistence uses, paying particular attention to
rookeries, mating grounds, and areas of similar significance. The
regulations must include requirements pertaining to the monitoring and
reporting of such taking. Regulations governing the taking of ringed
and bearded seals incidental to on-ice seismic surveys were published
on February 2, 1998 (63 FR 5277), and remain in effect until December
31, 2002.
Summary of Request
NMFS received a request for a letter of authorization on February
8, 1999, from BP Exploration (Alaska). This letter requested a take by
harassment of a small number of ringed seals incidental to the
described activity.
Issuance of these letters of authorization are based on findings
that the total takings by this activity will have a negligible impact
on the ringed and bearded seal stocks of the Western Beaufort Sea and
that the applicants have met the requirements contained in the
implementing regulations.
Dated: March 21, 1999.
Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-7351 Filed 3-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
