Marine Mammals; File No. 782-1812, 12185 [E6-3363]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 46 (Thursday, March 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 12185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3363]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 030306E]


Marine Mammals; File No. 782-1812

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 the NMFS, National Marine Mammal 
Laboratory (Principle Investigator: Dr. Robert DeLong), Alaska 
Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA has applied in due form for a 
permit to conduct research on California sea lions (Zalophus 
californianus), northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), 
harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), and northern fur seals (Callorhinus 
ursinus) on the southern California Channel Islands, surrounding 
waters, and at haul-out sites along the coast of California, Oregon, 
and Washington.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before April 10, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 
20910; phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)427-2521;
    Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 
1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone (206)526-6150; fax (206)526-6426; and
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax (562)980-4018.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on the 
application should be mailed to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and 
Education Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 
East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those 
individuals requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons 
why a hearing on this particular request would be appropriate.
    Comments on the application may also be submitted by facsimile at 
(301)427-2521, provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 
submitted by mail and postmarked no later than the closing date of the 
comment period.
    In addition, comments on the application may be submitted by e-
mail. The mailbox address for providing email comments is 
NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line of the e-mail 
comment the following document identifier: File No. 782-1812.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Wright or Tammy Adams, 
(301)713-2289.

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.) and the Regulations Governing the Taking 
and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    The applicant, NMML, is requesting permission to conduct the 
following five research projects on four species of pinnipeds breeding 
in the California Channel Islands, and hauled-out along the coasts of 
California, Oregon and Washington: (1) Population and health assessment 
of California sea lions (CSL); (2) ecology of infectious diseases, 
environmental toxins, and contaminants in CSL; (3) age- and sex-
specific partitioning of resources by CSL, harbor seals (HS), and 
northern elephant seals (NES); (4) evaluation of antihelminthic 
treatments on CSL and northern fur seals (NFS); and (5) evaluation of 
handling methods on CSL pups. The objectives are to: (1) Monitor trends 
in population parameters and health of CSL; (2) investigate the roles 
environmental toxins and contaminants play in the susceptibility to 
infectious diseases and the development of cancer in CSL; (3) 
investigate how the environmental factors that influence the foraging 
ecology of CSL, HS, and NES may affect their foraging distributions; 
(4) determine if antihelminthic treatments can increase survivorship in 
CSL and NFS pups; and (5) comparatively evaluate the effects of 
different combinations of handling techniques. Population assessment of 
CSL is a continuation of a long-term program designed to meet the needs 
of the NMFS mandate to monitor population health of pinnipeds. To 
achieve the objectives of the various research projects, the applicant 
has requested to harass, capture, sample (blood and various tissues), 
mark (by dye, flipper tag, neoprene patch, and hot brand), and attach 
instruments to individuals of all four species, and inject CSL and NFS 
pups with either an antihelminthic treatment or placebo. Please refer 
to the tables in the application for details of the numbers of marine 
mammals that would be affected by the various research activities. The 
applicant has also requested allowance for a limited number of 
mortalities of each species per year incidental to the research. The 
permit would expire 5 years after the date of issuance.
    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.

    Dated: March 6, 2006.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-3363 Filed 3-8-06; 8:45 am]
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