Marine Mammals; File No. 27597, 36761-36762 [2024-09615]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 87 / Friday, May 3, 2024 / Notices
Notification to Interested Parties
Kit
Dahl, Staff Officer, Pacific Council;
telephone: (503) 820–2422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
purpose of this EAS online meeting is
to develop recommendations on Pacific
Council operations and priorities, which
the Pacific Council will discuss at its
June 7–13, 2024, meeting. The EAS may
also discuss recommendations for other
items on the Pacific Council’s June
meeting agenda relevant to ecosystem
management and the business of the
EAS.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained in the meeting agenda may be
discussed, those issues may not be the
subject of formal action during this
meeting. Action will be restricted to
those issues specifically listed in this
document and any issues arising after
publication of this document that
require emergency action under section
305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act,
provided the public has been notified of
the intent to take final action to address
the emergency.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
We are issuing and publishing these
preliminary results in accordance with
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) of the Act,
and 19 CFR 351.213(h) and
351.221(b)(4).
Dated: April 26, 2024.
Ryan Majerus,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and
Negotiations, performing the non-exclusive
functions and duties of the Assistant
Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
Appendix
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary
Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Affiliation
V. Companies Not Selected for Individual
Examination
VI. Discussion of the Methodology
VII. Currency Conversion
VIII. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2024–09621 Filed 5–2–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
Special Accommodations
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD925]
Pacific Fishery Management Council;
Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
The Pacific Fishery
Management Council’s (Pacific Council)
Ecosystem Advisory Subpanel (EAS) is
holding an online meeting, which is
open to the public.
DATES: The online meeting will be held
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 12 p.m. to
2 p.m. or until business for the day is
completed.
ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held
online. Specific meeting information,
including directions on how to join the
meeting and system requirements will
be provided in the meeting
announcement on the Pacific Council’s
website (see www.pcouncil.org). You
may send an email to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@
noaa.gov) or contact him at (503) 820–
2412 for technical assistance.
Council address: Pacific Fishery
Management Council, 7700 NE
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland,
OR 97220–1384.
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@
noaa.gov; (503) 820–2412) at least 10
days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 29, 2024.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–09625 Filed 5–2–24; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD928]
Marine Mammals; File No. 27597
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science
Center’s Marine Mammal Laboratory
(MML), 7600 Sand Point Way NE,
Seattle, WA 98115 (Responsible Party:
John Bengston, Ph.D.) has applied in
due form for a permit to conduct
research on Steller sea lions
(Eumetopias jubatus).
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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36761
Written comments must be
received on or before June 3, 2024.
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
the File No. 27597 from the list of
available applications. These documents
are also available upon written request
via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@
noaa.gov.
Written comments on this application
should be submitted via 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
via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@
noaa.gov. The request should set forth
the specific reasons why a hearing on
this application would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara
Young or Courtney Smith, Ph.D., at
(301) 427–8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
subject permits are 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).
MML proposes to conduct research to
measure population status, vital rates,
foraging ecology, habitat requirements,
and effects of natural and anthropogenic
factors impacting the eastern distinct
population segment (eDPS) of Steller sea
lion populations pursuant to fulfilling
the NMFS legal requirements under the
MMPA, and to test hypotheses of
mechanisms underlying population
trends. Proposed activities include
surveys (aerial, vessel, and land)
including use of unmanned aircraft
systems (UAS), capture and handling,
marking, hot branding, sampling
(including but not limited to blood,
blubber, swabs of all mucus membranes
and lesions, skin samples, vibrissae, and
hair), tagging, and unintentional
disturbance. Animals may be disturbed
by surveys, captured, sampled and
released for vital rates, foraging ecology
and/or health studies multiple times per
year. MML requests four unintentional
mortalities from the eDPS of Steller sea
lions annually, not to exceed eight over
the duration of the permit. Non-target
species that may be disturbed
unintentionally during these studies
include northern elephant seals
(Mirounga angustirostris), harbor seals
(Phoca vitulina), and California sea
DATES:
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 87 / Friday, May 3, 2024 / Notices
lions (Zalophus californianus).
Collected biological samples may be
exported for analysis. See the
application for complete numbers of
animals requested by species and
procedure. The requested duration of
this permit is 5 years.
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
activities proposed are consistent with
the Preferred Alternative in the Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for Steller Sea Lion and
Northern Fur Seal Research (NMFS
2007) and a supplemental
environmental assessment (NMFS 2014)
prepared for the addition of unmanned
aerial surveys to the suite of Steller sea
lion research activities analyzed under
the EIS that concluded that issuance of
the permits would not have a significant
adverse impact on the human
environment. An environmental review
memo is being prepared to summarize
these findings.
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: April 29, 2024.
Julia M. Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–09615 Filed 5–2–24; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD212]
Draft Updated Guidance for Assessing
the Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on
Marine Mammal Hearing—Underwater
and In-Air Criteria for Onset of
Auditory Injury and Temporary
Threshold Shifts (Version 3.0)
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
The National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), announces
the availability of our draft Update to:
Technical Guidance for Assessing the
Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on
Marine Mammal Hearing (Version 3.0):
Underwater and In-Air Criteria for
Onset of Auditory Injury and Temporary
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Threshold Shifts (draft Updated
Technical Guidance) for public
comment. The draft Updated Technical
Guidance assesses the effects of
anthropogenic sound on marine
mammal species under NMFS’s
jurisdiction. The draft Updated
Technical Guidance provides updated
received levels and auditory weighting
functions, or acoustic criteria, above
which individual marine mammals, inair and underwater, are predicted to
experience changes in their hearing
sensitivity (auditory injury or temporary
threshold shift) for all anthropogenic
sound sources. Once finalized, the
Updated Technical Guidance will
replace NMFS’s current 2018 Revisions
to: Technical Guidance for Assessing
the Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on
Marine Mammal Hearing (Version 2.0):
Underwater Thresholds for Onset of
Permanent and Temporary Threshold
Shifts (2018 Revised Technical
Guidance).
DATES: Comments must be received by
June 17, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The draft Updated
Technical Guidance is available in
electronic form via the internet https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/
marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-acoustic-technical-guidance.
You may submit comments by including
NOAA–NMFS–2024–0026, by either of
the following methods:
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20240026, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
Mail: Send comments to: Chief,
Permits and Conservation Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910–3226, Attn: Updated Acoustic
Technical Guidance.
Instructions: NMFS may not consider
comments if they are sent by any other
method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the
comment period ends. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and NMFS will generally post for public
viewing on https://www.regulations.gov
without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.),
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. NMFS will
accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/
A’’ in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amy R. Scholik-Schlomer, Office of
PO 00000
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Protected Resources, 301–427–8449,
Amy.Scholik@noaa.gov.
The
National Marine Fisheries Service has
developed a draft Updated Technical
Guidance document for assessing the
effects of anthropogenic sound on the
hearing of marine mammal species, inair and underwater, under NMFS’s
jurisdiction. Specifically, the draft
Updated Technical Guidance identifies
the received levels and auditory
weighting functions, or acoustic criteria,
above which individual marine
mammals are predicted to experience
changes in their hearing sensitivity
(auditory injury (AUD INJ) or temporary
threshold shift (TTS)) for all
anthropogenic sound sources. This
document is intended for use by NMFS
analysts and managers and other
relevant user groups and stakeholders,
including other Federal agencies, when
seeking to determine whether and how
their activities are expected to result in
particular types of impacts to marine
mammals via acoustic exposure in-air
and underwater. The draft Updated
Technical Guidance outlines NMFS’s
updated acoustic criteria and describes
in detail how they were developed and
how they will be updated in the future.
As with our current 2018 Revised
Technical Guidance (https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2023-05/
TECHMEMOGuidance508.pdf), NMFS
worked with the U.S. Navy, which
updated their marine mammal acoustic
criteria. Upon evaluation, NMFS has
determined that the Navy’s proposed
criteria reflects the best available
science and incorporated it into our
draft Updated Technical Guidance.
NMFS conducted an independent
peer review in October/November 2022
in association with the draft Updated
Technical Guidance. Details of the peer
reviews are available at the following
website: https://www.noaa.gov/
information-technology/update-to20162018-technical-guidance-forassessing-effects-of-anthropogenicsound-on-marine-mammal.
Additionally, in May and June of 2023,
NMFS solicited input from other
relevant Federal agencies on the draft
Updated Technical Guidance. Federal
agency comments and NMFS responses
to those comments are available at the
following website: https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/
marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-acoustic-technical-guidance.
To complete the review process, NMFS
is now soliciting additional stakeholder
feedback via public comment on the
draft Updated Technical Guidance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 87 (Friday, May 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36761-36762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09615]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD928]
Marine Mammals; File No. 27597
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science
Center's Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML), 7600 Sand Point Way NE,
Seattle, WA 98115 (Responsible Party: John Bengston, Ph.D.) has applied
in due form for a permit to conduct research on Steller sea lions
(Eumetopias jubatus).
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 3, 2024.
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 the File No.
27597 from the list of available applications. These documents are also
available upon written request via email to [email protected].
Written comments on this application should be submitted via email
to [email protected]. Please include the File No. in the
subject line of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a
written request via email to [email protected]. The request
should set forth the specific reasons why a hearing on this application
would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Young or Courtney Smith, Ph.D.,
at (301) 427-8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permits are 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).
MML proposes to conduct research to measure population status,
vital rates, foraging ecology, habitat requirements, and effects of
natural and anthropogenic factors impacting the eastern distinct
population segment (eDPS) of Steller sea lion populations pursuant to
fulfilling the NMFS legal requirements under the MMPA, and to test
hypotheses of mechanisms underlying population trends. Proposed
activities include surveys (aerial, vessel, and land) including use of
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), capture and handling, marking, hot
branding, sampling (including but not limited to blood, blubber, swabs
of all mucus membranes and lesions, skin samples, vibrissae, and hair),
tagging, and unintentional disturbance. Animals may be disturbed by
surveys, captured, sampled and released for vital rates, foraging
ecology and/or health studies multiple times per year. MML requests
four unintentional mortalities from the eDPS of Steller sea lions
annually, not to exceed eight over the duration of the permit. Non-
target species that may be disturbed unintentionally during these
studies include northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris),
harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), and California sea
[[Page 36762]]
lions (Zalophus californianus). Collected biological samples may be
exported for analysis. See the application for complete numbers of
animals requested by species and procedure. The requested duration of
this permit is 5 years.
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 activities proposed are consistent with the Preferred Alternative
in the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Steller
Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research (NMFS 2007) and a supplemental
environmental assessment (NMFS 2014) prepared for the addition of
unmanned aerial surveys to the suite of Steller sea lion research
activities analyzed under the EIS that concluded that issuance of the
permits would not have a significant adverse impact on the human
environment. An environmental review memo is being prepared to
summarize these findings.
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: April 29, 2024.
Julia M. Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-09615 Filed 5-2-24; 8:45 am]
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