Marine Mammals; Photography Permit (File No. 867-1525)

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48607-48608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23222]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 082699F]


Marine Mammals; Photography Permit (File No. 867-1525)

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

ACTION: Receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Moana Productions, Inc., 311 
Portlock Road, Honolulu, HI 96825, has applied in due form for a permit 
to take several species of non-threatened, non-endangered small 
cetaceans for purposes of commercial photography.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 7, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following 
office(s):
    Permits Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-2289);
    Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean 
Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310/980-4001); and

[[Page 48608]]

    Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way 
NE, Bin C15700, Building 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (206/526-6150).
    Written data or views, or requests for a public hearing on this 
request, should be submitted to the Director, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130, 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.
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Trevor Spradlin or Jeannie Drevenak at 
(301) 713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of Sec. 104(c)(6) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 
1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Regulations Governing 
the Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216). Section 
104(c)(6) provides for photography for educational or commercial 
purposes involving non-endangered and non-threatened marine mammals in 
the wild. NMFS is currently working on proposed regulations to 
implement this provision. However, in the meantime, NMFS has received 
and is processing this request as a ``pilot'' application for Level B 
Harassment of non-listed and non-depleted marine mammals for 
photographic purposes.
    The applicant seeks authorization to photograph the following 
marine mammals in Pacific waters off the coasts of California, Oregon 
and Washington: California sea lions (Zalophus californianus); harbor 
seals (Phoca vitulina); Northern elephant seals (Mirounga 
angustirostris); harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena); Dall's porpoises 
(Phocoenides dalli); Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhychus 
obliquidens); Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus); bottlenose dolphins 
(Tursiops truncatus), striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba); common 
dolphins (Delphinus sp.); short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala 
macrorhynchus); northern right whale dolhins (Lissodelphis borealis); 
Baird's beaked whales (Berardius bairdii); Mesoplodon beaked whales 
(Mesoplodon sp.); Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris); Bryde's 
whales (Balaenoptera edeni); minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata); 
gray whales (Eschrichtius  robustus); and killer whales (Orcinus orca). 
The applicant proposes to initiate this work upon receipt of the 
permit.

    Dated: August 30, 1999.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-23222 Filed 9-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F