64910 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 216 / Tuesday, November 9, 2004 / Notices 

Marine Science, School of Fisheries and 

Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska, 

Fairbanks, AK 99775, has requested an 

amendment to scientific research Permit 

No. 1033–1683–00.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail 

comments must be received on or before 

December 9, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The amendment request 

and related documents are available for 

review upon written request or by 

appointment in the following office(s):

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.

Written comments or requests for a 

public hearing on this request should be 

submitted to the Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education Division, 

F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those 

individuals requesting a hearing should 

set forth the specific reasons why a 

hearing on this particular amendment 

request would be appropriate.

Comments may also be submitted by 

facsimile at (301)713–0376, provided 

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period.

Comments may also be submitted by 

e-mail. The mailbox address for 

providing email comments is 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line of the e-mail 

comment the following document 

identifier: File No. 1033–1683–01.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth Johnson or Amy Sloan (301)713–

2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject amendment to Permit No. 1033–

1683–00, issued on September 25, 2002 

(67 FR 62699) is requested under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and the Regulations 

Governing the Taking and Importing of 

Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216).

Permit No. 1033–1683–00 authorizes 

the permit holder to capture, sample, 

instrument and release Weddell seals, 

incidentally harass crabeater seal 

(Lobodon carcinophagus), leopard seal 

(Hydrurga leptonyx), Ross seal 

(Ommatophoca rossii), southern 

elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), and 

Antarctic fur seal (Archtocephalus 

gazella), and import blood, feces and 

milk collected during research. The 

permit holder requests authorization to: 

capture 20 additional adult Weddell 

seals (10 inshore, 10 offshore), handle, 

blood sample, collect a whisker and hair 

sample; and collect a whisker and hair 

sample from adult female seals already 

authorized to be taken. These activities 

will provide information of the effects of 

the Antarctic ecosystem changes on 

seals.

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of this 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors.

Dated: November 4, 2004.

Jill Lewandowski, 

Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and 

Education Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 04–24954 Filed 11–8–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 110304A]

Marine Mammals; File No. 782–1708

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of permit amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

The National Marine Mammal 

Laboratory (NMML), National Marine 

Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand 

Point Way, NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, 

Seattle, WA 98115–0070 [PI: Dr. John 

Bengtson] has been issued an 

amendment to scientific research Permit 

No.782–1708–00 to take Northern fur 

seals (Callorhinus ursinus).

ADDRESSES: The amendment and related 

documents are available for review 

upon written request or by appointment 

in the following office(s):

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

Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 

21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668; phone 

(907)586–7221; fax (907)586–7249.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth Johnson or Amy Sloan, (301)713–

2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

September 16, 2004, notice was 

published in the Federal Register (69 

FR 55797) that an amendment of Permit 

No. 782–1708–00 issued on August 23, 

2003 (68 FR 53967), had been requested 

by the above-named organization. The 

requested amendment has been granted 

under the authority of the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the 

Regulations Governing the Taking and 

Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR 

part 216), and the Fur Seal Act of 1966, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.).

The Permit authorizes the Holder to 

capture, restrain, shear mark, weigh, 

measure, sample (including tooth, 

tissue, blood, fecal and throat swabs, 

enema), ultrasound, flipper tag, and 

instrument fur seals; animals are 

recaptured to remove instruments or to 

reinstrument. Fur seals may be 

incidentally harassed during capture 

operations, surveys, and scat collection. 

Researchers may also collect, obtain, 

and maintain scientific specimens taken 

from dead animals during the native 

subsistence harvest (St. Paul and St. 

George only) and from animals found 

dead on rookeries during other research 

activities (all islands) in Alaska.

The Amendment authorizes the 

Holder to inject up to 60 pups with 

deuterium oxide (D2O) and up to 70 

adults with tritiated water (3H2O). 

Animals may be blood sampled pre- and 

post-injection of isotopes, held up to 2.5 

hours and released. At the end of the 

perinatal suckling period, the pups may 

be recaptured, weighed and a single 5–

10 mL blood sample obtained. Females 

may also be biopsy sampled for fatty 

acid analysis. All animals requested are 

a subset of seals already authorized to 

be taken. No increase in number of 

animals taken is requested or 

authorized.

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final 

determination has been made that the 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement.

Dated: November 3, 2004.

Amy Sloan,

Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and 

Education Division, Office of Protected 

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 04–24956 Filed 11–8–04; 8:45 am]

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