NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization to Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc., to take, by harassment, small numbers of 13 species of marine mammals incidental to a marine survey program in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska, during the 2013 Arctic open-water season. This IHA is issued pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and it is effective July 1, 2013, through October 31, 2013. This IHA continues to use the historical acoustic criteria (e.g., 160 and 180 dB). The Federal Register notice of this IHA includes NMFS’ responses to largely negative comments by the Marine Mammal Commission and various environmental groups.
Click here to read NMFS’ Federal Register notice of this IHA.
