[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 110 (Thursday, June 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33281-33282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8959]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 060106A]


Marine Mammals; File No. 116-1843

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 Sea World, Inc., 7007 Sea World 
Drive, Orlando, Florida 32821, has applied in due form for a permit to 
import three beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) for the purposes of 
public display.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before July 
10, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    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

[[Page 33282]]

    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, 
Florida 33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.
    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 e-mail comments is [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: 
File No. 116-1843.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking and 
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    The applicant requests authorization to import three male, adult 
beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) from the Marineland of Canada in 
Ontario, Canada to Sea World of Florida in Orlando, Florida. The 
applicant requests this import for the purpose of public display. The 
receiving facility, Sea World of Florida, 7007 Sea World Drive, 
Orlando, Florida 32821 is: (1) open to the public on regularly 
scheduled basis with access that is not limited or restricted other 
than by charging for an admission fee; (2) offers an educational 
program based on professionally accepted standards of the AZA and the 
Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums; and (3) holds an 
Exhibitor's License, number 58-C-0077, issued by the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 - 59).
    In addition to determining whether the applicant meets the three 
public display criteria, NMFS must determine whether the applicant has 
demonstrated that the proposed activity is humane and does not 
represent any unnecessary risks to the health and welfare of marine 
mammals; that the proposed activity by itself, or in combination with 
other activities, will not likely have a significant adverse impact on 
the species or stock; and that the applicant's expertise, facilities 
and resources are adequate to accomplish successfully the objectives 
and activities stated in the application.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: June 2, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-8959 Filed 6-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S