[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 102 (Friday, May 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 30704]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10667]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051305C]


Endangered Species; File No. 1518

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 Carlos Diez, Departamento de 
Recursos Naturales y Abmientales de Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 9066600, San 
Juan, Puerto Rico 00906-6600, has applied in due form for a permit to 
take hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea 
turtles for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before June 27, 2005.

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)427-2521; 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)427-2521, 
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. 1518.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Opay or Amy Sloan, (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 applicant proposes to annually capture up to 250 green and 320 
hawksbill sea turtles to provide information on the ecology and 
population dynamics of these species. The research would take place in 
the waters surrounding Puerto Rico and its adjacent islands including 
Mona, Monito, Desecheo, Caja-de-Muertos, Vieques and Culebra. 
Researchers would identify marine habitat, determine distribution and 
abundance, determine sex ratios, evaluate the extent of ingestion of 
marine debris, determine growth rates and sexual maturity, and quantify 
threats. All turtles would be measured, weighed, tagged, and blood 
sampled. A subset of animals would be lavaged and have transmitters 
attached to them. The permit would be issued for 5 years.

    Dated: May 20, 2005.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-10667 Filed 5-26-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S