[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 212 (Thursday, November 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64512-64513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18503]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 102706C]


Marine Mammals; File No. 775-1600

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for amendment.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Northeast Fisheries Science 
Center, NMFS,166 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543-1026 
[Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Richard Merrick] has requested a 
major amendment to Permit No. 775-1600 to take northern right whales 
(Eubalaena glacialis) for purposes of scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The amendment 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)713-0376;
    Northeast Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA

[[Page 64513]]

01930-2298; phone (978)281-9200; fax (978)281-9371;
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. 
Petersburg, FL 33702-2432; phone (727)570-5301; fax (727)570-5320.
    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 amendment 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. 775-1600.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Hubard or Amy Hapeman, 
(301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 27, 2000, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (65 FR 64432) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take seven species of baleen whale, 21 species of 
odontocetes, and four species of pinnipeds had been submitted by the 
above-named organization. Permit No. 775-1600-00 was issued on March 6, 
2001 (66 FR 14135) and subsequently amended ten times for various 
purposes. Amendment No. 7 of the permit, named Permit No. 775-1600-07 
(69 FR 10680; March 8, 2004), and subsequent amendments allowed biopsy 
sampling of up to 15 right whale calves less than six months old per 
year. The Permit Holder has requested that the number of right whale 
calves less than six months old that may be biopsy sampled, including 
on the Southeastern US calving grounds, be increased to 30 per year to 
account for inter-annual variation in the number of calves born each 
year. The purpose of this amendment is consistent with the objectives 
in the original application related to genetically identifying (via 
biopsy sampling) northern right whales.
    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: October 27, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-18503 Filed 11-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S