Marine Mammals; Incidental Take of Northern Sea Otters During Specified Activities; Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak, Alaska

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, and its implementing regulations, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, finalize incidental take regulations that facilitate the authorization of nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take by harassment of small numbers of northern sea otters during marine construction and pile driving in Seward, Sitka, and Kodiak, Alaska. Incidental take of northern sea otters may result from in-water noise generated during pile driving and marine construction activities. This rule is effective for 5 years from the date of issuance.