[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 99 (Friday, May 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 29274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11582]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 050604A]


Endangered Species; File No. 1475

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

ACTION: Receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Florida Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Commission, Florida Marine Research Institute (Richard E. 
Matheson, Principal Investigator), 1481 Market Circle, Unit 1, Port 
Charlotte, FL 33953, has applied in due form for a permit to take 
smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) for purposes of scientific 
research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before June 21, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The application 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 
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.
    Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for 
providing email comments is [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: 
File No. 1475.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Jefferies or Jill 
Lewandowski, (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 purpose of the project is to conduct research and monitoring on 
smalltooth sawfish in the State of Florida, especially the Charlotte 
Harbor estuarine system where sawfish are known to frequent. 
Researchers would characterize habitat use, relative abundance, 
juvenile recruitment, and temporal and spatial distributions of this 
species through the following research methodologies: capture via 
seines, hook and line and gillnets, measure, genetic sampling, PIT and 
rototagging and release of 135 juvenile and 65 adult smalltooth sawfish 
throughout the state of Florida. In addition, a subset of 25 juveniles 
and 25 adults would also have acoustic tags attached, and a subset of 
10 juveniles and 15 adults would also have satellite tags attached. The 
researchers are requesting authorization for these activities for five 
years.

    Dated: May 17, 2004.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-11582 Filed 5-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S