[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 174 (Friday, September 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 55194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22112]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC050


Marine Mammals; File No. 17236

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to Robert 
A. Garrott, Ecology Department, Montana State University, 310 Lewis 
Hall, Bozeman, MT 59717 to conduct research on Weddell seals 
(Leptonychotes weddellii) for scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    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; and
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Cairns or Tammy Adams, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 31, 2012, notice was published in the 
Federal Register (77 FR 32081) that a request for a permit to conduct 
research on Weddell seals had been submitted by the above-named 
applicant. The requested permit has been issued under the authority of 
the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 
seq.).
    The permit holder is authorized to continue long-term studies of 
the Weddell seal population in the Erebus Bay, McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea 
and White Island areas of Antarctica. Up to 425 adults and 700 pups 
will be captured annually. Animals will be weighed, tissue sampled, 
flipper tagged, and released. A subset of 200 pups annually will have a 
small temperature logging tag attached. The permit holder is authorized 
to opportunistically collect, import, and export Weddell seal parts and 
carcasses. Annually, up to 2,000 Weddell, 50 crabeater (Lobodon 
carcinophagus), and 50 leopard (Hydrurga leptonyx) seals may be 
incidentally disturbed as a result of research activities. Up to 4 (2 
adults and 2 pups) Weddell seal research-related mortalities are 
authorized annually. The permit is valid for five years from the date 
of issuance.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has been made that the 
activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

    Dated: August 31, 2012.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-22112 Filed 9-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P