[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27724-27725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13364]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 050697A]


Marine Mammals

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

ACTION: Issuance of scientific research permit no. 850-1342 (File No. 
850-1342)

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Ms. Lucy W. Keith, Boston 
University Marine Program, Broderick House/MBL, Woods Hole, 
Massachusetts 02543, has been issued a permit to ``take'' by Level A 
and Level B harassment, Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) 
for purposes of scientific research.

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, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 W. Ocean Boulevard, Suite 
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310/980-4016); and
    Protected Species Program Manager, Pacific Area Office, Southwest 
Region, NMFS, 2570 Dole Street, Room 106, Honolulu, HI 96822-2396 (808/
973-2987).


[[Page 27725]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 20, 1997, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (62 FR 13367) that the above-named applicant had 
submitted a request for a scientific research permit to ``take'' 
Hawaiian monk seals for purposes of scientific research. The research 
will be conducted over a 1-year period and will involve the capture, 
physical restraint, radio tagging, monitoring, and possible recapture 
(for tag removal) of immature Hawaiian monk seals of either gender, as 
well as the inadvertent harassment of additional seals of any age and 
gender during the course of the research activities. The objective of 
the research is to describe haul-out patterns of juvenile Hawaiian monk 
seals at Midway Islands. An evaluation will be made of the possible 
impacts of human disturbance on the seals. 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 (ESA) 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 part 222).
    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: May 8, 1997.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-13364 Filed 5-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F