[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26366-26367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10785]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 041904B]


Endangered Species; File No. 1295

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the NMFS Northeast Fishery Science 
Center (Responsible Official- Dr. John Boreman) has been issued a 
modification to scientific research Permit No. 1295.

ADDRESSES: The modification and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    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)281-9200; fax (978)281-9371.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 5, 2004, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (69 FR 5508)

[[Page 26367]]

that a modification of Permit No. 1295, issued June 4, 2001 (66 FR 
29934), had been requested by the above-named organization. The 
requested modification has been granted 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 modification authorizes the NEFSC (1) to conduct research 
designed to develop and test methods to reduce incidental bycatch of 
sea turtles that occurs in a commercial pound net fishery (2) to sample 
sea turtles captured during research designed to develop and test 
methods to reduce incidental bycatch of these species that occurs in 
scallop drag fisheries, and (3) to sample sea turtles captured during 
the NEFSC's biennial shark longline surveys. The modification would 
authorize an additional take of 113 loggerhead (Caretta caretta), 2 
green (Chelonia mydas), 40 Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and 2 
leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtles annually during the 
remaining 2 years of the existing permit. The research will be 
conducted in the shelf waters of the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to the 
Gulf of Maine. Up to 2 loggerhead and 3 Kemp's Ridley sea turtle 
interactions are expected to result in lethal takes annually.
    Issuance of this modification, 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 6, 2004.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-10785 Filed 5-11-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S