Mariana Islands Range Complex Marine Species Monitoring Plan FY13-2015

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The U. S. Navy (Navy) has developed this Mariana Islands Range Complex (MIRC) Monitoring Plan to provide marine mammal and sea turtle monitoring as required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. In order to issue an Incidental Take Authorization (ITA) for an activity, Section 101(a)(5)(a) of the MMPA states that National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) must set forth “requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.” The MMPA implementing regulations in 50 CFR Section 216.104 (a)(13) note that requests for Letters of Authorization (LOAs) must include the suggested means of accomplishing the necessary monitoring and reporting that will result in increased knowledge of the species and of the level of taking or effects to populations of marine mammals that are expected to be present.