[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 159 (Friday, August 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46212-46213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16237]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC09


Marine Mammals; File No. 10028

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 obtain stranded, releasable 
pinnipeds (up to eight otariids and 20 phocids) from the National 
Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program for the purposes of public 
display.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before September 17, 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

[[Page 46213]]

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. 10028.

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.), and the regulations governing the 
taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    Mystic Aquarium is requesting a permit to take releasable stranded 
pinnipeds. Six females and two males of each species over a five-year 
period for a maximum of eight otariids and 20 phocids are being 
requested. Species for consideration include California sea lions 
(Zalophus californianus), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), grey seals 
(Halichoerus grypus), harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals 
(Cystophora cristata) from stranding facilities located on the Alaskan 
coast, west coast and northeast coast of the United States. The purpose 
of this activity is to increase our current population of pinnipeds for 
public display and opportunistic non-intrusive research. Mystic 
Aquarium will always consider taking a non-releasable animal first and 
each animal will be evaluated on a case by case basis. There will be no 
non-target marine mammal or ESA-listed species that will be 
incidentally taken during these activities. The permit is requested for 
five years.
    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: August 13, 2007.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-16237 Filed 8-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S