[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 98 (Tuesday, May 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29111-29112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11300]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XI01
File No. 13388


Marine Mammals; Receipt of Application to Import One Beluga Whale

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 Sea World, Inc., 7007 Sea World 
Drive, Orlando, FL 32821, has applied in due form for a permit to 
import one beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) for the purposes of 
public display.

DATES:  Written or telefaxed comments must be received on or before 
June 19, 2008.

ADDRESSES:  The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    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 Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.
    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. 13388.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking and 
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    The applicant requests authorization to import one male adult 
beluga whale from the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center, British 
Columbia, Canada to Sea World of Texas. The applicant requests this 
import for the purpose of public display. The receiving facility, Sea 
World of Texas, 10500 SeaWorld Drive, San Antonio, TX 78251 is: (1) 
open to the public on regularly scheduled basis with access that is not 
limited or restricted other than by charging for an admission fee; (2) 
offers an educational program based on professionally accepted 
standards of the AZA and the Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and 
Aquariums; and (3) holds an Exhibitor's License, number 58-C-0077, 
issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare 
Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. Sec.  2131 - 59).
    In addition to determining whether the applicant meets the three 
public display criteria, NMFS must determine

[[Page 29112]]

whether the applicant has demonstrated that the proposed activity is 
humane and does not represent any unnecessary risks to the health and 
welfare of marine mammals; that the proposed activity by itself, or in 
combination with other activities, will not likely have a significant 
adverse impact on the species or stock; and that the applicant's 
expertise, facilities and resources are adequate to accomplish 
successfully the objectives and activities stated in the application.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
    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: May 14, 2008.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-11300 Filed 5-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S