Biological Opinion on the Full Implementation of the Preferred Alternative of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Research on Steller Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals

This document is the product of a consultation pursuant to section 7(a)(2) of the ESA and implementing regulations found at 50 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 402. The action agency for the actions evaluated in this consultation is NOAA Fisheries Permits, Conservation, and Education Division of the Office of Protected Resources (Permits Division). The consulting agency is NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region, Protected Resources Division. This document evaluates the Permits Division’s proposal to fully implement the Research Permits program as described in the Preferred Alternative (Alternative 4) of NOAA Fisheries’ 2007 Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research for any subsequent permit applications. The new permits that would be issued under the preferred alternative of the Final PEIS would be valid up to the five year limit under their regulations for marine mammal research.

Action Agency: NOAA Fisheries Permits, Conservation, and Education Division

NMFS Consultation Number: AKR-2009-7253