[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 110 (Friday, June 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31811-31812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11056]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA67


Marine Mammals; File No. 42-1908

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 Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan 
Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355 (Dr. Lisa Mazzaro, Principal Investigator), 
has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on Steller sea 
lions (Eumetopias jubatus) being held in captivity and to import and 
export parts from all cetaceans and pinniped species (excluding walrus) 
for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before July 9, 2007.

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
    Northeast Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-
2298; phone (978)281-9300; fax (978)281-9394.
    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. 42-1908.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Skidmore or Amy Sloan, 
(301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended 
(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the regulations governing the taking 
and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the 
regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222-226), and the Fur Seal 
Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).
    The applicant is requesting a scientific research and enhancement 
permit to continue activities authorized under Permit No. 42-1642-03 
for the following two projects: Project 1: Mystic Aquarium's current 
Steller sea lion (SSL) collection consists of one intact adult male and 
three geriatric females. They are requesting authorization to (1) 
import or receive a second intact adult male SSL and subsequently 
return this animal to its facility of origin, if necessary; and (2) to 
import up to nine female SSL from the Vancouver Aquarium, and to 
receive a ``non-releasable'' one year old male SSL from The Marine 
Mammal Center in Sausalito, California. All of these animals will be 
incorporated into Mystic Aquarium's research program, which includes 
hormone monitoring and immune function, and vitamin and iron studies. 
Incidental to scientific research and enhancement activities, all of 
these animals will be on public display. At any one time the maximum 
number of adult male SSL maintained at Mystic Aquarium will be two and 
the number of females and pups will not exceed nine.

[[Page 31812]]

    Project 2: The applicant requests authority to annually receive, 
import and export tissues from a maximum of 10,000 animals, up to 30 
samples per animal per year (i.e., 5000 pinniped and 5000 cetaceans) 
under NMFS jurisdiction in the U.S. and abroad (i.e. worldwide). 
Sources of samples are from (1) captive animals (from routine husbandry 
sampling); (2) stranded animals abroad; (3) subsistence-hunted animals; 
(4) already permitted research projects; (5) animals that died 
incidental to commercial fishing in foreign countries where such taking 
is legal and specimens from animals that died incidental to U.S. 
commercial fishing operations; and (6) Navy dolphins. Mystic Aquarium 
also requests permission to export samples from stranded animals in the 
U.S. for research purposes. Samples will be analyzed for purposes of 
research on marine mammal health (e.g., nutrition, disease, immune 
function, environmental stressors).
    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: June 4, 2007.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-11056 Filed 6-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S