[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69388-69389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-30800]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 120103E]


Endangered Species; File No. 1375

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

ACTION: Receipt of application for modification

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. Thomas J. Kwak, U.S. 
Geological Survey, North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife 
Research Unit, Box 7617, 201 David Clark Labs, North Carolina State 
University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7617, has requested a 
modification to scientific research permit no. 1375.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before 
January 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The modification request and related documents are available 
for review upon written request or by appointment in the following 
office(s):
    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; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. 
Petersburg, FL 33702-2432; phone (727)570-5301; fax (727)570-5320.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this request 
should be submitted 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 modification 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Jefferies or Ruth Johnson, 
(301) 713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification to Permit No. 1375, 
issued on March 27, 2003 (68 FR 16002) is requested under the authority 
of 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 and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).
    Permit No. 1375 authorized the permit holder to deploy 1,000 
hatchery-reared juvenile shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) in 
cages at 10 test sites within the Roanoke/Albemarle River system for 28 
days. The fish were then supposed to be euthanized and their tissue 
analyzed for contaminants.

[[Page 69389]]

The results of this study would have provided needed information to 
determine if water quality is a limiting factor of the ecological 
success of shortnose sturgeon in this river system. When the initial 
study was conducted, however, high water temperatures and low dissolved 
oxygen contributed to a shortened experiment time. Although the results 
obtained were useful, the permit holder wants to repeat the experiment 
and requests authorization to obtain an additional 1000 fish for that 
purpose.

    Dated: December 8, 2003.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-30800 Filed 12-11-03; 8:45 am]
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