[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56478-56479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15826]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 092006C]


Endangered Species; File No. 1581

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 National Marine Fisheries 
Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (Responsible 
Official- Samuel Pooley, Principal Investigator- George Balazs), 2570 
Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822, has applied in due form for a permit 
to take 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 October 27, 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
    Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, 
Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808)973-2935; fax (808)973-2941.
    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

[[Page 56479]]

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. 1581.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Opay or Kate Swails, (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 applicant proposes to continue long-term monitoring of the 
status of green and hawksbill turtles in the Hawaiian Islands to 
determine their abundance, size ranges, health/disease status, diving 
behavior, habitat use, foraging ecology, local movements, and migration 
routes. Researchers would annually capture up to 600 green and 10 
hawksbill sea turtles by hand, scoop net, entanglement net, and bullpen 
net. All green sea turtles would be measured, weighed, passive 
integrated transponder tagged, and flipper tagged. A subset of green 
sea turtles would have their shell etched with an identification mark, 
be blood sampled, tissue sampled, lavaged, and have an electronic tag 
attached to them. Hawksbill sea turtles would be measured, weighed, 
passive integrated transponder tagged, flipper tagged, blood sampled, 
and tissue sampled. All animals would be released. Research would take 
place in the Hawaiian Islands and the permit would be issued for 5 
years.

    Dated: September 21, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-15826 Filed 9-26-06; 8:45 am]
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