[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 85 (Thursday, May 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 24565]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8399]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 042607B]


Endangered Species; File No. 1557

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

ACTION:  Notice; receipt of application for modification

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that Molly Lutcavage, Department of 
Zoology, 177 A Spaulding Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 
03824-2617, has requested a modification to scientific research Permit 
No. 1557.

DATES:  Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before June 4, 2007.

ADDRESSES:  The modification 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)427-2521; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727)824-5312; fax (727)824-5309.
    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 modification 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. 1557.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification to Permit No. 1557, 
issued on June 21, 2006 (71 FR 36520) is requested under the authority 
of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (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).
    Permit No. 1557 authorizes the permit holder to investigate 
leatherback sea turtle regional behavior and movements in near-shore 
waters off the eastern United States and to identify their dispersal in 
relation to oceanographic conditions and fishing activities. The 
research will also help establish baseline health assessments, genetic 
identities, sex ratios, and stable isotope composition of leatherback 
sea turtle tissues and prey. Researchers are authorized to conduct 
research on up to 12 leatherback sea turtles annually that have been 
disentangled from fishing gear by the stranding network or that 
researchers have captured using a breakaway hoop net. Turtles are 
measured, weighed, photographed and video taped, flipper and passive 
integrated transponder (PIT) tagged, blood sampled, cloacal swabbed, 
nasal swabbed, skin sampled, tagged with electronic instruments, and 
released. The research permit was issued for 5 years. The permit holder 
currently requests authorization to take an additional eight 
leatherbacks per year. Turtles would be measured, weighed, photographed 
and video taped, flipper and PIT tagged, blood sampled, cloacal 
swabbed, nasal swabbed, skin sampled. The researchers propose to attach 
satellite-linked data recorders to the turtle's carapace and to feed 
stomach temperature pills to the animals. These pills would record 
stomach temperatures and transmit them to the satellite-linked data 
recorder for transmission to the researchers. This research would help 
researchers better understand where, when, and under what environmental 
conditions leatherback sea turtles forage so as to better predict their 
movements. This information would be used to help predict leatherback 
movements and potential interactions with fisheries and other human 
activities to allow resource managers to design management strategies 
to protect this species.

    Dated: April 26, 2007.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-8399 Filed 5-2-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S