[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 31164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8404]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051606B]


Endangered Species; File No. 1556

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, USA (CNMI), Division of Fish and Wildlife, [Sylvan 
Igisomar, responsible official] P.O. Box 10007, Saipan, Mariana 
Islands, 96950 has been issued a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas) 
and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles for purposes of 
scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit 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
    Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, 
Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808)973-2935; fax (808)973-2941.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 24, 2006 notice was published in 
the Federal Register(71 FR 9524) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take green and hawksbill sea turtles had been 
submitted by the above-named organization. The requested permit has 
been issued 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 parts 222-226).
    The CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife will perform sea turtle 
surveys in the waters of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA. The project 
will consist of shoreline/cliff line assessments, in-water tow dive 
assessments, and the hand capture of sea turtles. Turtles will be 
handled, measured, photographed, tissue-sampled, flipper tagged, 
passive integrated transponder tagged, and released. A subset of the 
turtles will be satellite tagged. The applicant will capture up to 100 
green and 40 hawksbill sea turtles annually. The permit is issued for 
five years.
    Issuance of this permit, as required by the ESA, was based on a 
finding that such permit (1) Was applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: May 24, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-8404 Filed 5-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S