Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals; Offshore Seismic Activities in the Beaufort Sea

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 041598A]

Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals; Offshore Seismic

Activities in the Beaufort Sea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal of an application for an incidental

harassment authorization.

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SUMMARY: On July 6, 1998, NMFS was notified by BP Exploration (Alaska)

(BPXA) that BPXA would not be conducting seismic surveys for oil and

gas exploration in the U.S. Beaufort Sea during the 1998 open-water

season. As a result, BPXA has requested NMFS to withdraw its

application for an incidental harassment authorization under the Marine

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and, by this document, NMFS is noting that

withdrawal.

[[Page 40505]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Hollingshead, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 713-2055, Brad Smith, Western Alaska

Field Office, NMFS, (907) 271-5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.)

directs the Secretary of Commerce to allow, upon request, the

incidental, but not intentional, taking of marine mammals by U.S.

citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial

fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain findings are

made and either regulations are issued or, if the taking is limited to

harassment, a notice of a proposed authorization is provided to the

public for review.

Permission may be granted if NMFS finds that the taking will have a

negligible impact on the species or stock(s) and will not have an

unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or

stock(s) for subsistence uses and that the permissible methods of

taking and requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of

such taking are set forth.

Application

On March 26, 1998, NMFS received an application from BPXA

requesting a 1-year renewal of its authorization for the harassment of

small numbers of several species of marine mammals incidental to

conducting seismic surveys during the open water season in the Beaufort

Sea between Harrison Bay and Camden Bay/Flaxman Island, AK.

Weather permitting, the survey was expected to take place between

approximately July 1 and October 20, 1998. A detailed description of

the work proposed for 1998 is contained in the application and need not

be repeated here. A notice of receipt of the application and proposed

authorization was published on May 6, 1998 (63 FR 25015), and a 30-day

public comment period was provided on the application and proposed

authorization. Several comments were received during the 30-day comment

period. While those comments no longer require response by NMFS,

because similar comments were submitted during the review and comment

period for an IHA application by Western Geophysical for seismic

operations in the U.S. Beaufort Sea, readers are encouraged to review

the authorization notice for that applicant elsewhere in this issue of

the Federal Register.

Dated: July 22, 1998.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98-20279 Filed 7-28-98; 8:45 am]

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