# Designating the Sakhalin Bay-Nikolaya Bay-Amur River Stock of Beluga Whales as a Depleted Stock Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
> **Rule** · Final rule. · Published 2016-10-27 · Effective 2016-11-28 · 81 FR 74711
## Document
- **Document number:** 2016-25984
- **Category:** other
- **Federal Register citation:** 81 FR 74711
- **Publication date:** 2016-10-27
- **Effective date:** 2016-11-28
- **NOAA docket:** Docket No. 151113999-6950-02
## Abstract

We, NMFS, issue a final determination to designate the Sakhalin Bay-Nikolaya Bay-Amur River Stock of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) as a depleted stock of marine mammals pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This action is being taken as a result of a status review conducted by NMFS in response to a petition to designate a group of beluga whales in the western Sea of Okhotsk as a depleted stock. The biological evidence indicates that the group is a population stock as defined by the MMPA, and the stock is depleted as defined by the MMPA.

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/10/27/2016-25984/designating-the-sakhalin-bay-nikolaya-bay-amur-river-stock-of-beluga-whales-as-a-depleted-stock)
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