[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 99 (Friday, May 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29273-29274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11581]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 041304B]


Endangered Species; File No. 1260

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the NMFS Southeast Region (SER) 
has been issued a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1260.

ADDRESSES: The modification and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following office: 
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.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 1, 2004, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (69 FR 9596) that a modification of Permit No. 
1260, issued June 29, 2001 (66 FR 34621), 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 permit holder to take an additional 
14 loggerhead and 6 Kemp's ridley sea turtles annually, and adds an 
annual take authorization of 9 leatherback, 6 green and 6 hawksbill sea 
turtles to the permit. Turtles will be handled, flipper tagged and 
measured after they have been captured during fishery resource 
assessment cruises, and then released. The modification does not cover 
the incidental capture of the sea turtles, which is authorized 
separately in the biological opinion relating to the authorization of 
the assessment cruises.
    Issuance of this modification, as required by the ESA was based on 
a

[[Page 29274]]

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 14, 2004.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-11581 Filed 5-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S