Marine Mammals; File No. 16239, 52034-52035 [2015-21215]

Download as PDF 52034 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 166 / Thursday, August 27, 2015 / Notices rmajette on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES the Atlantic Coastal Act. Under the Atlantic Coastal Act, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) must make two findings within 30 days after receiving the non-compliance referral. First, the Secretary must determine whether the state in question (in this case, Delaware) has failed to carry out its responsibilities under the ISFMP. Second, the Secretary must determine whether the measures that the State has failed to implement or enforce are necessary for the conservation of the fishery in question. If the Secretary of Commerce makes affirmative findings on both criteria, then the Secretary must implement a moratorium on fishing in the fishery in question (in this case American eel) within the waters of the non-complying state (in this case, Delaware). Further, the moratorium must become effective within six months of the date of the Secretary’s non-compliance determination. To the extent that the allegedly offending state later implements the involved measure, the Atlantic Coastal Act allows the state to petition the Commission that it has come back into compliance, and if the Commission concurs, the Commission will notify the Secretary and, if the Secretary concurs, the moratorium will be withdrawn. The Secretary has delegated Atlantic Coastal Act authorities to the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at NMFS. NMFS has notified the State of Delaware, the Commission, and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in separate letters, of its receipt of the Commission’s non-compliance referral. In the letters, NMFS solicits comments from the Commission and Councils to the extent either entity is interested in providing such comments. NMFS also indicated to the State of Delaware that the State is entitled to meet with and present its comments directly to NMFS if the State so desires. NMFS intends to make its noncompliance determination on or about September 18, 2015, which is 30 days after receipt of the Commission’s noncompliance referral. NMFS will announce its determination by Federal Register notice immediately thereafter. To the extent that NMFS makes an affirmative non-compliance finding, NMFS will announce the effective date of the moratorium in that Federal Register notice. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 5101 et seq. Dated: August 21, 2015. Alan D. Risenhoover, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–21228 Filed 8–26–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:08 Aug 26, 2015 Jkt 235001 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XC268 Marine Mammals; File No. 16239 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for permit amendment. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that Dan Engelhaupt, Ph.D., HDR EOC, 5700 Lake Wright Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502– 1859, has applied for an amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 16239. DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or before September 28, 2015. 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 home page, https:// apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 16239 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 NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. 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: Carrie Hubard or Courtney Smith, (301) 427–8401. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 16239 is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (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 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the regulations governing the SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222–226). Permit No. 16239, issued on September 11, 2013 (78 FR 60852), authorizes the permit holder to harass cetacean and pinniped species during vessel and aerial survey activities, including behavioral observations and photo-identification. Cetacean species may also be harassed during underwater photography and collection of sloughed skin and fecal samples. Surveys may be conducted year-round in all U.S. and international waters in the Pacific Ocean (including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Guam, Marianas Islands, and other U.S. territories) and Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf of Mexico, western North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Sargasso Seas). The permit expires September 30, 2018. The permit holder is requesting the permit be amended to include authorization for: (1) Increasing takes for some species during aerial and vessel visual surveys to document presence/ absence, behavior, and movement of marine mammals before, during, and after Naval training exercise operations, offshore energy installations, oil and gas exploration and production, and pier refurbishment/replacement; (2) collecting biopsy samples to document genetic variation within populations, gender, foraging patterns, and stress levels; and (3) using multiple tag types, including satellite and digital acoustic tags, to document movement and dive patterns, social and population structure, and habitat use. See tables in the permit amendment application for numbers of takes by species, stock and activity. The research would be conducted to collect data on population and genetic variations and habitat use, and to monitor behavioral changes during activities associated with U.S. Navy, renewable energy, oil and gas exploration and production, and pierbased construction. 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 activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors. E:\FR\FM\27AUN1.SGM 27AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 166 / Thursday, August 27, 2015 / Notices Dated: August 18, 2015. Julia Harrison, Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–21215 Filed 8–26–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XE075 Marine Mammals; File No. 18636 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that Iain Kerr, D.H.L., Ocean Alliance, 32 Horton Street, Gloucester, MA 01930, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on multiple cetacean species. DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or before September 28, 2015. 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. 18636 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 NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. 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: Courtney Smith or Amy Hapeman, (301) 427–8401. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the rmajette on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:08 Aug 26, 2015 Jkt 235001 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), and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The applicant requests a five-year permit to determine how environmental toxicants affect cetaceans and vary spatially and temporally across species; and determine the route of exposure. Research would occur in U.S. waters and the high seas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans via vessel surveys targeting live cetaceans, tissue collection of dead, stranded cetaceans, and the import/export/receipt of biological samples collected in foreign waters/countries. Field research activities on live animals would include collection of sloughed skin and feces, biopsy sampling, photo-identification, videography, passive acoustic recording, focal follows, behavioral observation, and breath sampling via a small unmanned aircraft system. The applicant requests to annually harass and sample the following species during vessel surveys as follows. In the North Atlantic: 150 takes for the primary study species, sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus); 30 takes for Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera brydei); 40 takes for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae); and 20 takes for all other requested species [blue (B. musculus), dwarf sperm (Kogia sima), false killer (Pseudorca crassidens), fin (B. physalus), killer whales (Orcinus orca), minke (B. acutorostrata), pilot (Globicephala spp.), pygmy sperm (Kogia breviceps), sei (B. borealis), and beaked whale species and dolphins]. In the Pacific Ocean, the applicant requests up to 100 takes of sperm whales, and 20 takes of all other species, annually: blue, pygmy and dwarf sperm, fin, humpback, Bryde’s, minke, short- and long-finned pilot, sei, Eastern gray (Eschrichtius robustus), false killer, and killer whales, and several beaked whale and dolphin species. Additionally, the applicant requests to annually import/export/receive up to 150 biological samples (parts) for sperm whales; 200 parts for southern right whales; 40 parts for humpback whales; 30 parts for Bryde’s whales; and 20 parts for all other requested species. 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 activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 52035 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: August 18, 2015. Julia Harrison, Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–21216 Filed 8–26–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review Commodity Futures Trading Commission. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (‘‘PRA’’), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (‘‘ICR’’) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected costs and burden. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 28, 2015. ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the burden estimated or any other aspect of the information collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, may be submitted directly to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (‘‘OIRA’’) in OMB, within 30 days of the notice’s publication, by email at OIRAsubmissions@omb.eop.gov. Please identify the comments by OMB Control No. 3038–0007. Please provide the Commission with a copy of all submitted comments at the address listed below. Please refer to OMB Reference No. 3038–0007, found on https://reginfo.gov. Comments may also be mailed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. You may also submit comments, identified by Renewal of Collection Number 3038– 0007 and ‘‘Regulation of Domestic Exchange-Traded Options,’’ by any of the following methods: • The Agency’s Web site, via its Comments Online process: https:// comments.cftc.gov. Follow the SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\27AUN1.SGM 27AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 166 (Thursday, August 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52034-52035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21215]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC268


Marine Mammals; File No. 16239

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for permit amendment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dan Engelhaupt, Ph.D., HDR EOC, 
5700 Lake Wright Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502-1859, has applied for an 
amendment to Scientific Research Permit No. 16239.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before September 28, 2015.

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 
home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 
16239 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 NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. 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: Carrie Hubard or Courtney Smith, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 16239 is 
requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 
1972, as amended (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 (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).
    Permit No. 16239, issued on September 11, 2013 (78 FR 60852), 
authorizes the permit holder to harass cetacean and pinniped species 
during vessel and aerial survey activities, including behavioral 
observations and photo-identification. Cetacean species may also be 
harassed during underwater photography and collection of sloughed skin 
and fecal samples. Surveys may be conducted year-round in all U.S. and 
international waters in the Pacific Ocean (including Alaska, 
Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Guam, Marianas Islands, and 
other U.S. territories) and Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf of 
Mexico, western North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Sargasso Seas). The 
permit expires September 30, 2018.
    The permit holder is requesting the permit be amended to include 
authorization for: (1) Increasing takes for some species during aerial 
and vessel visual surveys to document presence/absence, behavior, and 
movement of marine mammals before, during, and after Naval training 
exercise operations, offshore energy installations, oil and gas 
exploration and production, and pier refurbishment/replacement; (2) 
collecting biopsy samples to document genetic variation within 
populations, gender, foraging patterns, and stress levels; and (3) 
using multiple tag types, including satellite and digital acoustic 
tags, to document movement and dive patterns, social and population 
structure, and habitat use. See tables in the permit amendment 
application for numbers of takes by species, stock and activity. The 
research would be conducted to collect data on population and genetic 
variations and habitat use, and to monitor behavioral changes during 
activities associated with U.S. Navy, renewable energy, oil and gas 
exploration and production, and pier-based construction.
    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 activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.


[[Page 52035]]


    Dated: August 18, 2015.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-21215 Filed 8-26-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

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