[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 57559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22998]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XB144


Endangered Species; File No. 13330

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southeast Fisheries Center 
(SEFSC) (hereinafter ``Permit Holder''); 75 Virginia Beach Drive, 
Miami, FL 33149 [Responsible Party: Bonnie Ponwith, Ph.D.], has been 
issued a modification to scientific research Permit No. 13330-01.

ADDRESSES: The modification 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 Southeast Region, NMFS, 
263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; phone (727) 824-5312; 
fax (727) 824-5309.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 2, 2012, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (77 FR 19648) that a modification of Permit No. 
13330-01, issued March 17, 2011, (76 FR 14650), had been requested by 
the above-named organization. The requested modification has been 
granted 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 222-226).
    Permit No. 13330-01 authorizes the permit holder to: Capture 45 
smalltooth sawfish (15 from each of three life stages) annually by 
longline, gillnet, seine net, drum (set) lines, or rod and reel 
throughout Florida's coastal waters, primarily from Naples to Key West. 
Sawfish are measured, tagged, sampled, and released. Current tagging 
methods include rototags (fin tags), dart tags, umbrella dart tags, 
Passive Integrated Transponder tags, acoustic transmitters, and Pop-Up 
Archival Transmitting tags. Tissue and blood samples are also taken. 
The permit holder is now authorized for an increase in take numbers to 
50 individuals from the neonate life stage, and 20 each from the 
juvenile and adult life stages for a total of 90 smalltooth sawfish 
annually. All research objectives, capture methods, action areas, and 
activities remain unchanged. The modification is valid until the permit 
expires on October 31, 2013.
    Issuance of this modification, 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: September 12, 2012.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-22998 Filed 9-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P