[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 40881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20446]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 071598C]


Marine Mammals; Permit No. 968 (P557D)

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a request for amendment of 
scientific research permit No. 968 submitted by Scripps Institution of 
Oceanography, Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Project, Institute 
for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, 
California 92093-02252, has been granted.

ADDRESSES: The amendment 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, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean 
Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (562/980-4001).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The requested amendment has been granted 
under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the provisions of Sec. 216.39 of 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.), the provisions of Sec. 222.25 of the regulations 
governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered fish and 
wildlife (50 CFR 222.23), and the Fur Seal Act of 1966, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    This amendment extends the permit through December 31, 1998. On 
April 18, 1997, permit No. 968 was extended through August 31, 1998, to 
allow the completion of the full 24 month Marine Mammal Research 
Program (MMRP). Since issuance of that amendment, however, the project 
has suffered further delays due to the El Nino weather conditions, 
which prevented the resumption of research at Pioneer Seamount until 
May 4, 1998. Consequently, to compensate for this latest delay, the 
Permit is again extended through December 31, 1998.
    Issuance of this amendment, 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: July 23, 1998.
Ann D. Terbush,
Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-20446 Filed 7-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F