Incidental Taking of Marine Mammals; Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to the Explosive Removal of Offshore Structures in the Gulf of Mexico, 35856 [2011-15309]
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35856
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 118 / Monday, June 20, 2011 / Notices
salmonids, and sets out the criteria for
such activities. The Rule further
provides that the prohibitions of
paragraph (a) of the Rule do not apply
to actions undertaken in compliance
with a RMP developed jointly within
the continuing jurisdiction of United
States v. Washington by the State of
Washington and the Tribes and
determined by NMFS to be in
accordance with the provisions of 50
CFR 223.203(b)(6) (i.e., Limit 6 of the
salmon and steelhead 4(d) Rule (65 FR
42422, July 10, 2000)). In 2005, as part
of the final listing determinations for
sixteen Evolutionarily Significant Units
of West Coast salmon, NMFS amended
and streamlined the previously
promulgated 4(d) protective regulations
for threatened salmon and steelhead (70
FR 37160, June 28, 2005). Under these
regulations, the same set of fourteen
limits was applied to all threatened
Pacific salmon and steelhead ESU’s or
DPS’s.
Dated: June 13, 2011.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office
of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–15137 Filed 6–17–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA489
Incidental Taking of Marine Mammals;
Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental
to the Explosive Removal of Offshore
Structures in the Gulf of Mexico
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of letters of
authorization.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA) and implementing regulations,
notification is hereby given that NMFS
has issued a one-year Letter of
Authorization (LOA) to take marine
mammals incidental to the explosive
removal of offshore oil and gas
structures (EROS) in the Gulf of Mexico.
DATES: The authorization is effective
from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.
ADDRESSES: The application and LOA
are available for review by writing to P.
Michael Payne, Chief, Permits,
Conservation, and Education Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:50 Jun 17, 2011
Jkt 223001
Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910–3235 or by telephoning the
contact listed here (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT), or online at:
https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/
incidental.htm. Documents cited in this
notice may be viewed, by appointment,
during regular business hours, at the
aforementioned address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Howard Goldstein or Jolie Harrison,
Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,
301–713–2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.
1361 et seq.) directs the Secretary of
Commerce (who has delegated the
authority to NMFS) to allow, upon
request, the incidental, but not
intentional, taking of small numbers of
marine mammals by United States
citizens who engage in a specified
activity (other than commercial fishing)
within a specified geographical region,
if certain findings are made and
regulations are issued. Under the
MMPA, the term ‘‘take’’ means to
harass, hunt, capture, or kill or to
attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill
any marine mammal.
Authorization for incidental taking, in
the form of annual LOAs, may be
granted by NMFS for periods up to five
years if NMFS finds, after notice 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 (where relevant). In
addition, NMFS must prescribe
regulations that include permissible
methods of taking and other means of
effecting the least practicable adverse
impact on the species and its habitat
(i.e., mitigation), and on the availability
of the species for subsistence uses,
paying particular attention to rookeries,
mating rounds, and areas of similar
significance. The regulations also must
include requirements pertaining to the
monitoring and reporting of such taking.
Regulations governing the taking of
marine mammals incidental to EROS
were published on June 19, 2008 (73 FR
34875), and remain in effect through
July 19, 2013. For detailed information
on this action, please refer to that
Federal Register notice. The species
that applicants may take in small
numbers during EROS activities are
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops
truncatus), Atlantic spotted dolphins
(Stenella frontalis), pantropical spotted
dolphins (Stenella attenuata), Clymene
dolphins (Stenella clymene), striped
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba),
spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris),
rough-toothed dolphins (Steno
bredanensis), Risso’s dolphins
(Grampus griseus), melon-headed
whales (Peponocephala electra), shortfinned pilot whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus), and sperm whales
(Physeter macrocephalus). NMFS
received a request for an LOA from
ExxonMobil Production Company
(ExxonMobil) for activities covered by
EROS regulations.
Reporting
ExxonMobil has not conducted any
operations during 2010 to 2011.
Pursuant to these regulations, NMFS
has issued an LOA to ExxonMobil.
Issuance of the LOAs is based on a
finding made in the preamble to the
final rule that the total taking by these
activities (with monitoring, mitigation,
and reporting measures) will result in
no more than a negligible impact on the
affected species or stock(s) of marine
mammals and will not have an
unmitigable adverse impact on
subsistence uses. NMFS will review
reports to ensure that the applicants are
in compliance with meeting the
requirements contained in the
implementing regulations and LOA,
including monitoring, mitigation, and
reporting requirements.
Dated: June 13, 2011.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–15309 Filed 6–17–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA478
Fisheries of the South Atlantic;
Southeast Data, Assessment, and
Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 25 South
Atlantic assessment process webinars
for black sea bass (Centropristis striata)
and golden tilefish (Lopholatilus
chamaeleonticeps).
AGENCY:
The SEDAR 25 assessments of
the South Atlantic black sea bass and
golden tilefish will consist of a series of
workshops and webinars: this notice is
for webinars associated with the
Assessment portion of the SEDAR
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM
20JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 118 (Monday, June 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 35856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15309]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA489
Incidental Taking of Marine Mammals; Taking of Marine Mammals
Incidental to the Explosive Removal of Offshore Structures in the Gulf
of Mexico
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of letters of authorization.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and
implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has
issued a one-year Letter of Authorization (LOA) to take marine mammals
incidental to the explosive removal of offshore oil and gas structures
(EROS) in the Gulf of Mexico.
DATES: The authorization is effective from July 1, 2011 through June
30, 2012.
ADDRESSES: The application and LOA are available for review by writing
to P. Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, Conservation, and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3235 or by
telephoning the contact listed here (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT), or online at: https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental.htm. Documents cited in this notice may be viewed, by
appointment, during regular business hours, at the aforementioned
address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Howard Goldstein or Jolie Harrison,
Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 301-713-2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.
1361 et seq.) directs the Secretary of Commerce (who has delegated the
authority to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not
intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by United States
citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial
fishing) within a specified geographical region, if certain findings
are made and regulations are issued. Under the MMPA, the term ``take''
means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill or to attempt to harass, hunt,
capture, or kill any marine mammal.
Authorization for incidental taking, in the form of annual LOAs,
may be granted by NMFS for periods up to five years if NMFS finds,
after notice 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 (where relevant). In
addition, NMFS must prescribe regulations that include permissible
methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable
adverse impact on the species and its habitat (i.e., mitigation), and
on the availability of the species for subsistence uses, paying
particular attention to rookeries, mating rounds, and areas of similar
significance. The regulations also must include requirements pertaining
to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.
Regulations governing the taking of marine mammals incidental to
EROS were published on June 19, 2008 (73 FR 34875), and remain in
effect through July 19, 2013. For detailed information on this action,
please refer to that Federal Register notice. The species that
applicants may take in small numbers during EROS activities are
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Atlantic spotted dolphins
(Stenella frontalis), pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella
attenuata), Clymene dolphins (Stenella clymene), striped dolphins
(Stenella coeruleoalba), spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris),
rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis), Risso's dolphins (Grampus
griseus), melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra), short-finned
pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), and sperm whales (Physeter
macrocephalus). NMFS received a request for an LOA from ExxonMobil
Production Company (ExxonMobil) for activities covered by EROS
regulations.
Reporting
ExxonMobil has not conducted any operations during 2010 to 2011.
Pursuant to these regulations, NMFS has issued an LOA to
ExxonMobil. Issuance of the LOAs is based on a finding made in the
preamble to the final rule that the total taking by these activities
(with monitoring, mitigation, and reporting measures) will result in no
more than a negligible impact on the affected species or stock(s) of
marine mammals and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on
subsistence uses. NMFS will review reports to ensure that the
applicants are in compliance with meeting the requirements contained in
the implementing regulations and LOA, including monitoring, mitigation,
and reporting requirements.
Dated: June 13, 2011.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-15309 Filed 6-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
