[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 53 (Monday, March 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 15997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6574]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XB083


Endangered Species; File No. 15672

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Molly Lutcavage, Ph.D., University 
of Massachusetts, Amherst, 108 Main Street, Gloucester MA 01930 has 
been issued a permit to take leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys 
coriacea) 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 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; and
Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; 
phone (978) 281-9328; fax (978) 281-9394.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Cairns or Amy Hapeman, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 26, 2011, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (76 FR 23305) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take leatherback 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.) and the regulations governing the taking, 
importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 
parts 222-226).
    The five year permit authorizes Dr. Lutcavage to conduct research 
to characterize the distribution, movements and dive behavior of 
leatherback sea turtles in the waters of New England. Researchers may 
take up to 25 leatherback sea turtles annually that have been 
disentangled from fishing gear by a stranding network or captured with 
a breakaway hoopnet. Turtles would be measured, weighed, photographed 
and videotaped, flipper and passive integrated transponder tagged, 
blood, tissue, and fecal sampled, cloacal, oral, and nasal swabbed, 
tagged with an electronic transmitter, and released.
    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: March 13, 2012.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-6574 Filed 3-16-12; 8:45 am]
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