50 C.F.R. § 217.322

Current through September 30, 2024

Section 217.322 - [Effective 3/27/2025] [Effective until 3/26/2030] Permissible methods of taking

Under a Letter of Authorization (LOA) issued pursuant to § 216.106 of this chapter and § 217.326 or § 217.327, LOA Holder, and those persons it authorizes or funds to conduct activities on its behalf, may incidentally, but not intentionally, take marine mammals within the area described in § 217.320(b) in the following ways, provided LOA Holder is in complete compliance with all terms, conditions, and requirements of the regulations in this subpart and the appropriate LOA:

(a) By Level B harassment associated with the acoustic disturbance of marine mammals by impact and vibratory pile driving and drilling (foundation installation), UXO/MEC detonations, and HRG site characterization surveys;

(b) By Level A harassment associated with the acoustic disturbance of marine mammals by impact pile driving of WTG and ESP foundations and UXO/MEC detonations;

(c) Take by mortality or serious injury of any marine mammal species is not authorized; and

(d) The incidental take of marine mammals by the activities listed in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section is limited to the following species:

Table 1 to Paragraph (d)

Marine mammal species	Scientific name	Stock
Atlantic spotted dolphin	Stenella frontalis	Western North Atlantic.
Atlantic white-sided dolphin	Lagenorhynchus acutus	Western North Atlantic.
Blainsville's beaked whale	Mesoplodon densirostris	Western North Atlantic.
Blue whale	Balaenoptera musculus	Western North Atlantic.
Bottlenose dolphin	Tursiops truncatus	Western North Atlantic, offshore.
Clymene dolphin	Stenella clymene	Western North Atlantic.
Cuvier's beaked whale	Ziphius cavirostris	Western North Atlantic.
Dwarf sperm whale	Kogia sima	Western North Atlantic.
False killer whale	Pseudorca crassidens	Western North Atlantic.
Fin whale	Balaenoptera physalus	Western North Atlantic.
Fraser's dolphin	Lagenodelphis hosei	Western North Atlantic.
Gervais' beaked whale	Mesoplodon europaeus	Western North Atlantic.
Gray seal	Halichoerus grypus	Western North Atlantic.
Harbor porpoise	Phocoena phocoena	Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy.
Harbor seal	Phoca vitulina	Western North Atlantic.
Harp seal	Pagophilus groenlandicus	Western North Atlantic.
Hooded seal	Cystophora cristata	Western North Atlantic.
Humpback whale	Megaptera novaeangliae	Gulf of Maine
Killer whale	Orcinus orca	Western North Atlantic.
Long-finned pilot whale	Globicephala melas	Western North Atlantic.
Melon-headed whale	Peponocephala electra	Western North Atlantic.
Minke whale	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	Canadian Eastern Coastal.
North Atlantic right whale	Eubalaena glacialis	Western North Atlantic.
Northern bottlenose whale	Hyperoodon ampullatus	Western North Atlantic.
Pantropical spotted dolphin	Stenella attenuata	Western North Atlantic.
Pygmy killer whale	Feresa attenuata	Western North Atlantic.
Pygmy sperm whale	Kogia breviceps	Western North Atlantic.
Risso's dolphin	Grampus griseus	Western North Atlantic.
Rough-toothed dolphin	Steno bredanensis	Western North Atlantic.
Sei whale	Balaenoptera borealis	Nova Scotia.
Short-beaked common dolphin	Delphinus delphis	Western North Atlantic.
Short-finned pilot whale	Globicephala macrorhynchus	Western North Atlantic.
Sowerby's beaked whale	Mesoplodon bidens	Western North Atlantic.
Sperm whale	Physeter macrocephalus	Western North Atlantic.
Spinner dolphin	Stenella longirostris	Western North Atlantic.
Striped dolphin	Stenella coeruleoalba	Western North Atlantic.
True's beaked whale	Mesoplodon mirus	Western North Atlantic.
White-beaked dolphin	Lagenorhynchus albirostris	Western North Atlantic.

50 C.F.R. §217.322

89 FR 52301, 3/27/2025 through 3/26/2030