[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 193 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 51688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25368]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 092796C]


Marine Mammals; Scientific Research Permit No. 1006 (P466B)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a permit for scientific research 
has been issued to Mr. Scott D. Kraus, Edgerton Research Laboratory, 
New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3399.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    Permits Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-2289);
    Director, Northeast Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, 
MA 01930-2298 (508/281-9250); and
    Director, Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive, St. 
Petersburg, FL 33702-2432 (813/570-5301).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 25, 1996, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (61 FR 32774) that a request for a scientific 
research permit had been submitted by the above-named applicant. The 
request was to harass during photo-identification studies and aerial, 
and vessel surveys, up to 350 North Atlantic right whales, up to 10 
time each, annually, over a five year period. Of these 350 animals, up 
to 80 may be biopsy darted, up to 10 may be radio tagged, up to 15 may 
be satellite tagged, and up to 50 may have blubber measurements taken 
ultrasonically, annually. In addition, authorization was requested to 
import up to 100 and export up to 100 tissue samples annually, and to 
collect an unspecified number of samples and/or entire carcasses, if 
feasible, from up to 10 right whale annually that die and strand along 
the coast of the United States. The requested permit has been issued 
under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Regulations Governing the Taking 
and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216), the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the 
regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered fish and wildlife (50 CFR parts 217-222). Authorization for 
collection and possession of specimens and/or whole carcasses of dead, 
stranded right whales, has not been granted, inasmuch as this activity 
is more appropriately handled through a letter of authorization from 
the Northeast Region's Stranding Network. Issuance of this permit, as 
required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, was based on a finding 
that such permit: (1) Was applied for in good faith; (2) will not 
operate to the disadvantage of the endangered species which is the 
subject of this permit; and (3) is consistent with the purposes and 
policies set forth in section 2 of the Act.

    Dated: August 29, 1996.
William Windom,
Acting Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-25368 Filed 10-02-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F