[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 215 (Monday, November 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68718-68719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28771]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA807


Marine Mammals and Endangered Species; File No. 16305

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 John P. Wise, Sr., Ph.D., Wise 
Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for 
Toxicology and Environmental Health University of Southern Maine, 478 
Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street Portland, MA 04104-9300, has 
applied in due form for a permit to receive, import, and export marine 
mammal and sea turtle biological samples for scientific research 
purposes.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before December 7, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the 
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species 
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File 
No. 16305 from the list of available applications.
    These documents are also available upon written request or by 
appointment in the following offices: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Written comments on this application should be submitted to the 
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, at the address 
listed above. Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-
0376, or by email to [email protected]. Please include File No. 
16305 in the subject line of the email comment.
    Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a 
written request to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 
Division at the address listed above. The request should set forth the 
specific reasons why a hearing on this application would be 
appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Jennifer Skidmore, (301) 
427-8401.

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 objectives of the proposed research are to receive, import, and 
export tissue samples from marine mammals and sea turtles under NMFS 
jurisdiction to: (1) Determine tissue levels of metals and other 
environmental contaminants; and (2) establish a resource of marine 
mammal and sea turtle cell lines for use as model systems in the 
investigation of various factors related to marine mammal health and as 
comparative tools to human studies (toxicity of metals, virology, 
etc.). When available, frozen and formalin-fixed tissues would be 
received from the same animals from which cell lines are derived. The 
applicant proposes to use frozen tissues for contaminant and DNA 
analysis, and formalin-fixed tissues for pathological studies.
    The numbers of animals, by species, from which samples may be 
received, imported, or exported annually include: 270 sperm whale 
(Physeter macrocephalus), 30 blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), 30 
Bryde's whale (B. edeni), 30 dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima), 30 false 
killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), 30 fin whale (B. physalus), 30 
gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), 30 humpback whale (Megaptera 
novaeangliae), 30 killer whale (Orcinus orca), 30 minke whale (B. 
acutorostrata), 60 pilot whale (Globicephala spp.), 30 pygmy sperm 
whale (K. breviceps), 30 sei whale (B. borealis), 30 southern right 
whale (Eubalaena australis), 30 northern right whale (E. glacialis), 30 
beaked whales (Cuvier's beaked, Ziphius cavirostris, and other beaked 
whales, Mesoplodon spp.), and 30 common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). 
In addition, samples from up to 10 animals from each of the following 
species may be received, imported, or exported annually: All other 
cetacean species, all pinnipeds (excluding walrus), and all sea 
turtles.
    No take would be involved; tissues would be received from the 
following sources: Stranded animals; animals that die during 
rehabilitation attempts; animals that die in public display or captive 
research facilities; animals sampled by other permitted researchers; 
and animals killed during legal subsistence hunts. Once the cell lines 
are established, they may be transferred to other researchers for 
scientific research, including export to world-wide locations. The cell 
lines would not be sold for profit or used for commercial purposes.
    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 the application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.
    Documents may be reviewed in the following locations:
    Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
phone (301) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376;
    Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Bldg. 
1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone (206) 526-6150; fax (206) 526-6426;
    Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone 
(907) 586-7221; fax (907) 586-7249;
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd. Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018;

[[Page 68719]]

    Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd. Rm. 1110, 
Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808) 944-2200; fax (808) 973-2941;
    Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 
01930; phone (978) 281-9328; fax (978) 281-9394; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.

    Dated: November 1, 2011.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-28771 Filed 11-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P