[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 1, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 15707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7784]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 032503B]


Endangered Species; File No. 1429

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

ACTION: Receipt of application.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Southeast Fisheries Science 
Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, 
Miami, FL 33149, has applied in due form for a permit to take 
loggerhead (Caretta caretta), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), green 
(Chelonia mydas), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), hawksbill 
(Eretmochelys imbricata), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea 
turtles for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before May 
1, 2003.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following 
office(s):
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. 
Petersburg, FL 33702-2432; phone (727)570-5301; fax (727)570-5320; and
    Permits,Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 
20910; phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)713-0376;
    Northeast Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-
2298; phone (978)281-9328; fax (978)281-9371.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Opay (301) 713-1401, or Carrie 
Hubard (301) 713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of 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 and threatened species (50 CFR 
222-226).
    The applicant proposes to conduct sea turtle bycatch reduction 
research in the pelagic longline fishery of the western north Atlantic 
Ocean. The researchers propose to work cooperatively with U.S. pelagic 
longline fishermen in the Northeast Distant area (NED) to conduct 
fishery-dependent testing. The purpose of the research is to develop 
and test methods to reduce bycatch that occurs incidental to 
commercial, pelagic longline fishing. The goal is to develop a means to 
reduce turtle take and retain viable fishing performance that may be 
adopted by the U.S. pelagic longline fleet as an alternative to more 
restrictive sea turtle protection measures, such as closures. The 
technologies developed through this research are expected to be 
transferrable to other nations' fleets as well, so this work will 
address the larger problem of sea turtle bycatch by pelagic longlines 
throughout the entire Atlantic Ocean and in other regions where sea 
turtle bycatch is a concern. The research will also attempt to 
determine the feasibility of using pop-up satellite tags to study the 
post-hooking survival of turtles impacted by the fishery.
    Sea turtles are expected to be taken as they entangle in and/or are 
hooked by the longline gear deployed in this experiment. An additional 
15 free-swimming loggerhead turtles may be dipnetted from the surface. 
The applicant proposes to take 217 loggerheads (202 to be taken by the 
experimental fishery and 15 dipnetted from the surface), 160 
leatherbacks, 2 green turtles, 2 hawksbills, 2 olive ridleys, 2 Kemp's 
ridleys, and 2 unidentified hardshell species. The applicant is 
requesting authorized mortalities of 2 loggerheads, 2 leatherbacks, as 
well as 1 green, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley, hawksbill, or 
unidentified hardshell in aggregate. All takes will occur in the NED of 
the Atlantic Ocean. The applicant is requesting a 1-year permit.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be mailed to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and 
Education Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 
East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those 
individuals requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons 
why a hearing on this particular request would be appropriate.
    Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301)713-0376, 
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period. Please 
note that comments will not be accepted by e-mail or by other 
electronic media.

    Dated: March 26, 2003.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-7784 Filed 3-31-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S