[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 169 (Thursday, August 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52694-52695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21481]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC137


Marine Mammals; File No. 17324

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 the Georgia Aquarium Inc., 225 
Baker Street, Atlanta, GA 30313, has applied in due form for a permit 
to import eighteen (18) beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) for 
public display purposes.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or electronic comments must be received on 
or before October 29, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/georgia_aquarium_belugas.htm or 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
Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727)824-5312; fax (727)824-5309.

    You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-
2012-0158, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal www.regulations.gov. To 
submit comments via the e-Rulemaking Portal, enter NOAA-NMFS-2012-0158 
in the keyword search. Locate the document you wish to comment on from 
the resulting list and click on the ``Comment Now'' icon on the right 
of that line.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Chief, Permits and 
Conservation Division, at the address listed above.
     Fax: (301)713-0376; Attn: Jennifer Skidmore.
    Instructions: Comments must be submitted by one of the above 
methods to ensure that the comments are received, documented, and 
considered by NMFS. Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be

[[Page 52695]]

considered. All comments received are a part of the public record and 
will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov 
without change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, 
address, etc.) submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit confidential business information, or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will accept 
anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to 
remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted 
in Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats 
only.
    NMFS will hold a public meeting to inform interested parties of the 
permitting process and solicit comments on the application and 
accompanying draft environmental assessment. The meeting will be held 
on October 12, 2012, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The meeting will be held at 
the NOAA Silver Spring Metro Center Complex, NOAA Science Center, 1301 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. This meeting is accessible 
to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation 
or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Jennifer Skidmore, 
(301)427-8401 (voice) or (301)713-0376 (fax), at least five days before 
the scheduled meeting date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Skidmore or Kristy Beard, 
(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.) and the regulations governing the taking 
and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    Georgia Aquarium requests authorization to import 18 wild caught 
beluga whales from the Utrish Marine Mammal Research Station in Russia 
to the United States for the purpose of public display. All 18 beluga 
whales were collected in Sakhalin Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk in 2006, 
2010, and 2011. Approximately six (6) animals would be transported to 
the Georgia Aquarium facility in Atlanta, GA, and the remaining animals 
would be transported to four other U.S. partner facilities; Sea World 
of Florida, Sea World of Texas, Sea World of California, and Shedd 
Aquarium pursuant to breeding loans. Georgia Aquarium and its U.S. 
partners are: (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) offer conservation and educational programs based on 
professionally accepted standards of the Alliance of Marine Mammal 
Parks and Aquariums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; and (3) 
hold Exhibitor's Licenses by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under 
the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131-59).
    In addition to determining whether the applicant meets the three 
public display criteria, NMFS must determine 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.
    A draft environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared in 
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), to examine whether significant environmental 
impacts could result from issuance of the proposed permit. The draft EA 
is available for review and comment simultaneous with the permit 
application.
    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.

    Dated: August 27, 2012.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-21481 Filed 8-29-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P