98-20890. Endangered Fish and Wildlife; Draft Recovery Plan for Fin and Sei Whales

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 150 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 41802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20890]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 072098F]


Endangered Fish and Wildlife; Draft Recovery Plan for Fin and Sei 
Whales

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

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The draft Recovery Plan (Plan) for the North Pacific and North 
Atlantic Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and Sei whale (Balaenoptera 
borealis) stocks is available for review and comment by interested 
parties prior to preparing the final plan for approval and adoption by 
NMFS.

DATES: Comments on the draft Plan must be received on or before October 
5, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Coordinator of Large Whale 
Recovery Activities, Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected 
Resources (F/PR), 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 
Copies of the Plan for fin and sei whales are available upon request 
from F/PR, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The 
draft plan is also available through the internet at: www.nmfs.gov/
tmcintyr/prot_res.html/finsei.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory K. Silber, Ph.D., NMFS, F/PR, 
301/713-2322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires that NMFS develop and implement recovery 
plans for the conservation and survival of threatened and endangered 
species under its jurisdiction unless it is determined that such plans 
will not promote the conservation of the species. Accordingly, NMFS 
provided a contract for preparation of the plan for fin and sei whales. 
The Plan discusses the natural history, current status, and the known 
and potential human impacts to fin and sei whales. Actions needed to 
promote the recovery of these species are identified and discussed. The 
final Recovery Plan will be used to direct U.S. activities, and to 
encourage international cooperation to promote the recovery of these 
endangered species.

    Dated: July 27, 1998.
Hilda Diaz-Soltero,
Director, Office of Protected Resources.
[FR Doc. 98-20890 Filed 8-4-98; 8:45 am]
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