Small Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Construction of an Offshore Platform in the Beaufort Sea

Resumen

NMFS has received a request from the BP Exploration (Alaska), 900 East Benson Boulevard, Anchorage, AK 99519 (BPXA) for an authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals by harassment incidental to construction of an offshore oil platform and subsea pipeline at Northstar in the Beaufort Sea in state waters. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to authorize BPXA to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of marine mammals in the above mentioned area between December 1, 1998, and November 30, 1999.