Small Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Oil and Gas Exploration Drilling Activities in the Beaufort Sea

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NMFS has received a request from Phillips Alaska, Inc., (Phillips) for an authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals by harassment incidental to conducting exploration drilling activities, during the winter, offshore Prudhoe Bay, in the U.S. Beaufort Sea off Alaska. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to authorize Phillips to incidentally take, by harassment only, small numbers of ringed and bearded seals while conducting this activity.