[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49577-49578]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16842]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 080205C]


Endangered Species; File No. 1527

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the John A. Musick, Ph.D., 
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Gloucester Point, VA 
23062, has applied in due form for a permit to take loggerhead (Caretta 
caretta), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback (Dermochelys 
coriacea), green (Chelonia mydas), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys 
imbricata) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before September 23, 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, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 
(301)713-2289; fax (301)427-2521; and
    Northeast Regional Office, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, 
MA 01930-2298; phone (978)281-9328; fax (978)281-9394.
    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, 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. 1527.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Opay or Shane Guan, (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 proposed research is to study loggerhead, Kemp's 
ridley, leatherback, green, and hawksbill sea turtles in the waters of 
the Chesapeake Bay (Bay), and the Virginia (VA) and Maryland (MD) 
tributaries to the Bay to identify relative abundance over time; detect 
changes in sea turtle size and age composition; monitor and document 
movement and migration patterns; and to study sea turtle interactions 
with whelk pot gear. The applicant proposes to take up to 100 
loggerhead, 30 Kemp's ridley, 10 leatherback, 10 green, and 5 hawksbill 
sea turtles each year over the course of a 5-year permit. Of the 100 
loggerhead turtles taken annually, 74 would be taken in VA waters, and 
the remaining 26 would be taken in MD waters. Likewise, the numbers by 
state of the other species are: 22 Kemp's ridleys from VA and 8 from 
MD; 7 leatherbacks from VA and 3 from MD; 7 greens from VA and 3 from 
MD; and 3 hawksbills from VA and 2 from MD. Seventy-one of the 
loggerhead, 21 of the Kemp's ridley, 7 of the leatherback, 7 of the 
green, and 3 of the hawksbill sea turtles are expected to be caught in 
pound nets. The remaining turtles would be captured utilizing 
relocation trawls as part of dredging activities authorized under 
separate permits and then turned over to the applicant. All turtles 
would be blood sampled, measured, weighed when practicable, flipper 
tagged, and PIT tagged. A subset of these animals would have satellite 
or

[[Page 49578]]

radio/sonic transmitters attached to their carapace, and would be 
laparoscopied and bone biopsied. Twenty loggerheads would be used in a 
whelk gear bycatch reduction study.

    Dated: August 18, 2005.
Steve Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-16842 Filed 8-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S