[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60841-60842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22939]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 093004B]


Marine Mammals and Endangered Species; Files No. 782-1702 and 
1409

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

ACTION: Receipt of applications for amendments.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the following entities have 
requested an amendment to their scientific research permits:
    Permit No. 782-1702: National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML), 
NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-
0070, (Dr. John Bengtson, Principal Investigator); and
    Permit No. 1409: Karen G. Holloway-Adkins, East Coast Biologists, 
Inc., P.O. Box 33715, Indialantic, FL 32903-3715.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before November 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The amendment requests 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
    Permit 782-1702: Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, 
BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone (206)526-6150; fax 
(206)526-6426; and
    Permit No. 1409: Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected 
Resources, Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, 
St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2432; phone (727)570-5312, fax (727)570-5517.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on these requests 
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 either of these particular amendment requests 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: 
Permit No. 782-1702 or Permit No. 1409.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendments are requested under 
the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended 
(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Regulations Governing the Taking and 
Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216), 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 parts 222-226).
    Permit No. 782-1702 issued to the NMML authorizes the permit holder 
to capture harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), California sea lions 
(Zalophusu californianus), and northern elephant seals (Mirounga 
angustirostris) and to conduct the following activities: tag and brand 
for long-term identification of individuals and to obtain information 
on reproductive success, survival and longevity; blood sample for 
disease screening; blubber biopsy for contaminant analysis; tissue 
sample for genetic and fatty acid analyses; and attach electronic 
instruments to document movements, activity and foraging patterns. The 
Permit also authorizes up to five (5) accidental mortalities of 
California sea lions each year.
    The permit holder has requested an amendment to the permit to 
increase the number of accidental mortalities of California sea lions 
from five to seven for the year spanning July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. 
The Permit expires June 30, 2008. During the 2004 summer field season 
California sea lions captured on a floating trap in the East Mooring 
Basin at Astoria, Oregon, were left unattended in the trap. When 
researchers returned to the capture site, five of the seven captured 
animals were dead or dying. The two remaining live animals were 
released. Apparently fighting among the animals caught in the trap 
resulted in the five deaths. The researchers maintain that this was 
unusual behavior, but to prevent this type of accident from occurring 
in the future the following mitigation measures will be included in the 
permit amendment,

[[Page 60842]]

if issued: ``On all future captures at least one person must remain in 
an attending vessel near the trap until all animals can be handled and 
released into the wild. Should there be future events of uncontrollable 
highly aggressive fighting among animals in the trap, the animals must 
be released immediately to preclude mortality of individual animals.''
    Permit 1409 issued to Karen G. Holloway-Adkins authorizes take of 
100 green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and 10 loggerhead sea turtles 
(Caretta caretta) annually for scientific research. Turtles are 
captured, handled, measured, weighed, flipper and PIT tagged, and 
lavaged. The purpose of the research is to characterize turtle 
aggregations using the nearshore reefs in central Brevard County, FL as 
developmental habitat, and to provide information on turtle size class, 
foraging habitats, and movements.
    The permit holder has requested a modification to the permit to 
allow sonic tags to be attached to 15 green sea turtles, a subset of 
the turtles already authorized to be taken, to determine distribution 
and seasonal movements of turtles in nearshore reefs in Brevard County.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the marine mammal application to 
the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: October 7, 2004.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-22939 Filed 10-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S