[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 184 (Friday, September 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 55431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8079]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 091806C]


Endangered Species; File No. 1591

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 NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science 
Center (Stephen Reilly, Responsible Official), 8604 La Jolla Shores 
Drive, La Jolla, CA 92038, has applied in due form for a permit to take 
green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and olive ridley 
(Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles for purposes of scientific 
research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before October 23, 2006.

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
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax (562)980-4018.
    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. 1591.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Opay or Amy Hapeman, (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 this project would be to continue long-term 
monitoring of the status of sea turtles in San Diego Bay, California. 
Researchers would study the species present at this temperate foraging 
area to determine their abundance, size ranges, growth, sex ratio, 
health status, diving behavior, local movements, habitat use, and 
migration routes. Turtles would be captured using entanglement nets and 
each animal would be flipper and passive integrated transponder (PIT) 
tagged, measured, weighed, sexed, blood sampled, and tissue sampled. A 
subset of animals be lavaged and would have transmitters attached to 
their carapace. A primary goal of the research would be to integrate 
data from genetic analysis, flipper tagging, and satellite telemetry to 
identify nesting beach origins of turtles occurring in San Diego Bay 
and contribute to the overall understanding of sea turtle stock 
structure in the Pacific Ocean. Researchers would compare current data 
with those collected in San Diego Bay since 1989 to determine growth 
rates of juveniles and adults, determine tag retention rates, and 
examine population abundance trends. Genetic studies based on blood and 
tissue samples are part of an international collaboration to define 
stock structure of sea turtles in the Pacific. Up to 50 green, 5 
loggerhead, and 5 olive ridley sea turtles would be taken annually. The 
permit would be issued for 5 years.

    Dated: September 18, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 06-8079 Filed 9-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S