[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 62 (Thursday, April 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 16428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7350]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XV63


Endangered Species; File Nos. 15112 and 13307-02

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application and application for 
modification.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science 
Center, Woods Hole, MA, has applied in due form for a permit to take 
loggerhead (Caretta caretta), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), 
Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), green (Chelonia mydas), and 
hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles for purposes of 
scientific research. Kristen Hart, Ph.D., USGS, Davie, FL has applied 
for a modification to scientific research Permit No. 13307-01 to take 
green sea turtles.

DATES:  Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before May 3, 2010.

ADDRESSES:  The applications 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. 15112 or 13307-02 from the list of available applications.
    These documents are also available 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 Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, 
Florida 33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.
    Written comments on these applications 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 the File 
No. in the subject line of the 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 the application would be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Kate Swails or Amy Hapeman, (301) 
713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit and modification are 
requested 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).
    File No. 15112: The purpose of the research is to determine the 
size and composition of populations of sea turtles found in the 
commercial fishing areas of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. The research 
would contribute to the understanding of the pelagic ecology of these 
species and allow more reliable assessments of commercial fishery 
impacts. Annually up to 130 loggerhead, 70 Kemp's ridley, 50 green, 10 
hawksbill, and 50 leatherback sea turtles caught in commercial 
fisheries would be measured, flipper tagged, tissue sampled, and 
released. The permit would be issued for five years.
    File No. 13307-02: Dr. Hart is authorized to capture up to 30 
green, 20 hawksbill, and 20 loggerhead sea turtles annually. Turtles 
may be weighed, measured, flipper tagged, PIT tagged, blood sampled, 
tissue sampled, fecal sampled, and lavaged. A subset of turtles may be 
tagged with a satellite tag or acoustic transmitter or a combination of 
both. This research addresses fine-scale temporal and spatial patterns 
of sea turtle habitat use, ecology, and genetic origin within the Dry 
Tortugas National Park. Dr. Hart proposes to increase the number of 
green sea turtles that she captures to 80 per year due to the high rate 
of recent capture success. The modification would be valid until the 
permit expires on June 30, 2013.

    Dated: March 29, 2010.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-7350 Filed 3-31-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S