[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 243 (Tuesday, December 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 75945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21608]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 121106B]


Endangered Species; File No. 1581

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the National Marine Fisheries 
Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (Responsible 
Official--Samuel Pooley, Principal Investigator--George Balazs), 2570 
Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822 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 September 27, 2006 notice was published 
in the Federal Register (71 FR 56478) 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).
    Researchers will annually capture up to 600 green and 10 hawksbill 
sea turtles by hand, scoop net, entanglement net, and bullpen net. All 
green sea turtles will be measured, weighed, passive integrated 
transponder tagged, and flipper tagged. A subset of green sea turtles 
will 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 will be measured, weighed, passive 
integrated transponder tagged, flipper tagged, blood sampled, and 
tissue sampled. All animals will be released alive. 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 any endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: December 13, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-21608 Filed 12-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S