[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 78 (Friday, April 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22677-22678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9852]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA382


Endangered Species; File No. 14949

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Carlos Diez, Ph.D., Puerto Rico 
Department of Natural Resources, Protected Species Program, P.O. Box 
366147, San Juan, PR, 00936, 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 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) 713-0376; and
Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; 
phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727)824-5309.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Cairns or Carrie Hubard, 
(301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 22, 2010, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (75 FR 13488) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take green and hawksbill sea turtles had been 
submitted by the above-named individual. 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.)

[[Page 22678]]

and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).
    Dr. Diez was issued a 5-year permit to provide information on the 
ecology and population dynamics of hawksbill and green turtles 
inhabiting the waters surrounding Puerto Rico and the adjacent islands 
including Mona, Monito, Desecheo, Caja-de-Muertos, Vieques, the Culebra 
Archipelago, and the Tres Palmas reserve. In addition, researchers 
would monitor the prevalence of fibropapillomatosis, a debilitating 
disease know to occur in green turtle foraging aggregations in Puerto 
Rico. Researchers may capture by hand, entanglement or cast net, 
transport, photograph, measure, weigh, flipper tag, passive integrated 
transponder tag, blood and tissue sample, ultrasound, attach satellite 
transmitters to and release sea turtles. A subset of up to 10 green 
turtles per year from the Culebra study sites may undergo 
fibropapillomatosis tumor removal surgery and subsequent 
rehabilitation.
    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 such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: April 18, 2011.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-9852 Filed 4-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P