[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 62 (Friday, March 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16291-16292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4729]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 032406C]


Endangered Species; File No. 1540

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for modification of a scientific 
research permit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that South Carolina Department of 
Natural Resources (SCDNR), Marine Resources Division, P.O. Box 12559, 
Charleston, S.C. 29422-2559, has requested a modification to scientific 
research Permit No. 1540.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before May 1, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The modification request 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, 263 13th Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727)824-5312; fax (727)824-5309.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this request 
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 this particular modification 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. 1540.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification to Permit No. 1540, 
issued on February 6, 2006 (71 FR 7019) is requested under the 
authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (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).
    Permit No. 1540 currently authorizes the permit holder to study 
loggerhead (Caretta caretta), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), 
green (Chelonia mydas), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and 
hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles. The purpose of the 
research is to continue to document in-water relative abundances, size 
distributions, sex ratios, genetic contributions, and the health of sea 
turtles in coastal waters in the southeastern U.S. SCDNR is authorized 
to capture 146 loggerhead, 48 Kemp's ridley, 15 green, 1 leatherback, 
and 3 hawksbill sea turtles, during the first year of the permit's 
five- year period. The permit authorizes research on up to 346 
loggerhead, 48 Kemp's ridley, 15 green, 1 leatherback, and 3 hawksbill 
sea turtles annually for the remaining four-years. Turtles are captured 
by trawls, handled, blood sampled, measured, flipper and PIT tagged, 
photographed, and released. A subsample of animals have barnacles and 
keratin removed from their shell, have cloacal samples taken, have 
laparoscopic and ultrasound exams, and have satellite transmitters 
attached. Up to 7 loggerhead and 1 leatherback may potentially be taken 
as accidental mortalities over the course of the entire permit. 
Additionally, up to 5 Kemp's ridley, green, or hawksbill sea turtles 
(combined total but no more than two of any given species) may 
potentially be

[[Page 16292]]

taken as accidental mortalities over the course of the entire permit. 
The permit is issued for 5 years.
    The permit holder requests a modification to the permit that would 
allow skin biopsy sampling of 125 loggerhead sea turtles. Fifty adult 
male sea turtles would be sampled offshore of Cape Canaveral, FL and 75 
sub-adult sea turtles would be sampled off Charleston, SC. The goal of 
the additional research would be to assess the potential diversity of 
diets and foraging habits of loggerheads in the Southeastern United 
States.

    Dated: March 27, 2006.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-4729 Filed 3-30-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S