[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 249 (Thursday, December 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 67998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32753]



[[Page 67998]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 121796A]


Marine Mammals; Scientific Research Permit No. 1021 (P532C)

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 Texas A&M University at Galveston, 
P.O. Box 1675, Galveston, TX 77551 (Principal Investigator: Dr. Randall 
W. Davis, Co-investigators: Dr. William E. Evans, Dr. Robert Benson, 
Dr. Bernd Wursig, Mr. Troy S. Sparks and Mr. Spencer Lynn), has been 
issued a permit to tag, biopsy dart, capture/release various cetacean 
species for purposes of scientific research. The NMFS decision on 
project 1 involving low frequency sounds on sperm whales was deferred 
pending an environmental review.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following office(s):
    Permits Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-2289); and
    Regional Administrator, Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive 
Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2532.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 26, 1996, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (61 FR 43737) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take various cetacean species had been submitted by 
the above-named organization. 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 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the 
regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered fish and wildlife (50 CFR 222.25).
    Issuance of this permit as required by the ESA 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 ESA.

    Dated: December 17, 1996.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-32753 Filed 12-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F