43516 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 157 / Thursday, August 14, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 080697C]

Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of scientific research

permit 1052.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that on

August 5, 1997, NMFS issued scientific

research permit 1052 to Joseph E.

Hightower, of the North Carolina

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research

Unit (P647), to take listed shortnose

sturgeon for the purpose of scientific

research subject to certain conditions set

forth therein.

ADDRESSES: The application, permit,

and related documents are available for

review by appointment in the following

offices:

Office of Protected Resources, F/PR3,

NMFS, 1315 East-West Hwy., Room

13307, Silver Spring, MD 20910–3226

(301–713–1401); and

Director, Southeast Region, NMFS,

NOAA, 9721 Executive Center Drive, St.

Petersburg, FL 33702–2432 (813–893–

3141).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice

was published on June 3, 1997 (62 FR

31576) that an application had been

filed by Joseph E. Hightower, of the

North Carolina Cooperative Fish and

Wildlife Research Unit(P647), to take

listed shortnose sturgeon as authorized

by the Endangered Species Act of 1973

(ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531–1543) and NMFS

regulations governing listed fish and

wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 217–222).

The applicant requested a two-year

permit to capture, examine, tag, and

take tissue samples of 25 juvenile and

adult listed shortnose sturgeon annually

within the Albemarle Sound estuarine

system. A maximum of 25 shortnose

sturgeon will be collected from the

Albemarle Sound to determine the

status of shortnose sturgeon in the

estuary and to examine habitat selection

and overlap for shortnose sturgeon and

juvenile Atlantic sturgeon. The sturgeon

will be examined, measured,

photographed, and tagged. Sonic

transmitters will be externally attached

to the sturgeon to monitor their

movement within the Sound. The

sturgeon will be released immediately

following the above procedures. All of

these adult shortnose sturgeon may be

fitted with a sonic transmitter. The

applicant also has requested one

incidental mortality per year. The

purpose of the research is to determine

the status of shortnose sturgeon

migratory movements and to help

identify spawning, feeding, and

overwintering areas.

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 the listed species that is

the subject of this permit, and (3) is

consistent with the purposes and

policies set forth in section 2 of the

ESA.

Dated: August 8, 1997.

Nancy Chu,

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office

of Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–21532 Filed 8–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 080797A]

Marine Mammals; Public Display

Permit (PHF# 852–1356)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

The Dallas World Aquarium, Inc., 1801

North Griffin, Dallas, TX 75202, has

applied in due form for a permit to

import Amazon River dolphin (Inia

geoffrensis), for purposes of public

display.

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before September 15,

1997.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following offices:

Permits Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Room

13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910,

(301/713–2289); and

Regional Administrator, Southeast

Region, NMFS, 9731 Executive Center

Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702,

(206/526–6150).

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this application,

should be submitted to the Chief,

Permits Division, F/PR1, Office of

Protected Resources, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Those individuals requesting a hearing

should set forth the specific reasons

why a hearing on this particular

application would be appropriate. The

holding of such a hearing is at the

discretion of the Director, Office of

Protected Resources.

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.

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).

The applicant requests authorization

to import four Amazon River dolphins

(Inia geoffrensis). The Venezuelan

Service Agency for the Protection,

Restoration, Promotion and Rational

Utilization of the Wildlife and Aquatic

life of the Country has issued a capture

license to the applicant. The dolphins

would be collected from the Apure

River near San Fernando, Venezuela,

and maintained at the J.V. Seijas

Aquarium in Valencia, Venezuela, until

the public display facility at the Dallas

World Aquarium receives final approval

from the Department of Agriculture’s

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS). As any issues relating

to the care and maintenance of captive

marine mammals are within the

purview of APHIS, under the Animal

Welfare Act, copies of the application

are also being sent to APHIS for review.

The Dallas World Aquarium is open

to the public on a regularly scheduled

basis with access that is not limited or

restricted other than by charging an

admission fee; and offers an educational

program based upon the educational

standards of the American Zoo and

Aquarium Association.

The International Union for

Conservation of Nature and Natural

Resources (IUCN) has included this

species in the 1996 IUCN Red List of

Threatened Animals under the category

‘‘vulnerable’’, i.e., taxa believed likely to

move into the Endangered category in

the near future if causal factors continue

operating. Population data concerning

Inia geoffrensis in Venezuela is limited

and the application states that no census

has been taken of the subject wild

population/stock. Therefore, NMFS has

concerns about the status and

conservation of the dolphins in the

Orinoco river system and the potential
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 157 / Thursday, August 14, 1997 / Notices 43517

impacts of the permanent removal of

four sub-adults from this population/

stock.

Additionally, NMFS is concerned that

holding this species in captivity may

involve a significant risk to the health

and welfare of the animals held.

Historically, study results conclude that

due to a number of factors this species

has fared poorly in captivity in the

United States, with an average longevity

of 32.6 months for the 35 animals for

which data was available. (See Inia

geofffensis in Captivity in the United

States, Melba C. Caldwell, David K.

Caldwell and Randall L. Brill. 1989.

Proc. Workshop on Biology and

Conservation of the Platanistoid

Dolphins, Wuhan, People’s Republic of

China. The World Conservation Union

(IUCN), Occasional Papers of the IUCN

Species Survival Commission, Number

3. 35–41.) The applicant has addressed,

in part, some of the survivability factors

raised in the Caldwell study, citing

successful behavioral experiences with

this species at the J.V. Seijas Aquarium

in Valencia, Venezuela. The applicant

submitted additional information on

August 4, 1997, to address the concerns

cited above; however, several aspects of

these concerns persist. As a result,

before decision is made to issue or deny

issuance of a permit, NMFS is soliciting

information that will assist the agency

in determining whether: (1) The

applicant meets the three public display

criteria; (2) the proposed activity is

humane and does not present any

unnecessary risks to the health and

welfare of the marine mammals; (3) 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 (4)

the applicant’s expertise, facilities, and

resources are adequate to accomplish

successfully the objectives and activities

stated in the application.

Dated: August 8, 1997.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–21464 Filed 8–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain

Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile

Products Produced or Manufactured in

Romania; Correction

August 8, 1997.

In the letter to the Commissioner of

Customs published in the Federal

Register on July 23, 1997 (62 FR 39501),

column 2, under the heading ‘‘Adjusted

twelve-month limit,’’ the unit of

measure for Category 410 should be

corrected from ‘‘dozen’’ to ‘‘square

meters.’’

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 97–21506 Filed 8–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING

COMMISSION

Notice of Availability; Chicago

Mercantile Exchange Proposed

Amendments to the Standard & Poor’s

500 Stock Price Index Futures and

Futures Option Contracts and the EMini Standard and Poor’s 500 Stock

Price Index Futures and Option

Contracts

AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability of

proposed amendments to the multiplier

and minimum price fluctuation

provisions in the Standard & Poor’s 500

Stock Price Index futures and futures

option contracts and the minimum price

fluctuation provisions in the E-Mini

Standard and Poor’s 500 Stock Price

Index futures and option contracts.

SUMMARY: The Chicago Mercantile

Exchange (CME) has submitted

proposed amendments to halve the

multiplier in the Standard & Poor’s 500

Stock Price Index (S&P 500) futures

contract and to double the minimum

price fluctuation in the S&P 500 futures

and option contracts. The CME also has

submitted proposed amendments to

increase the minimum price fluctuation

limit in the E-Mini Standard & Poor’s

500 Stock Price Index (E-Mini S&P 500)

futures and futures option contracts.

The Director of the Division of

Economic Analysis (Division) of the

Commission, acting pursuant to the

authority delegated by Commission

Regulation 140.96, has determined that

publication of the proposals for

comment is in the public interest, will

assist the Commission in considering

the views of interested persons, and is

consistent with the purposes of the

Commodity Exchange Act.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before August 29, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons should

submit their views and comments to

Jean A. Webb, Secretary, Commodity

Futures Trading Commission, 1155 21st

Street NW., Washington, DC 20581. In

addition, comments may be sent by

facsimile transmission to facsimile

number (202) 418–5521 or by electronic

mail to secretary@cftc.gov. Reference

should be made to the proposed

amendments to the index multiplier and

minimum tick provisions of the S&P 500

futures and futures option contracts and

the minimum tick provisions of the EMini S&P 500 futures and option

contracts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Please contact Thomas Leahy of the

Division of Economic Analysis,

Commodity Futures Trading

Commission, 1155 21st Street NW.,

Washington, DC 20581, telephone 202–

418–5278. Facsimile number: (202) 418–

5527. Electronic mail: tleahy@cftc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CME

proposes to halve the contract size of

the S&P 500 futures contract by

reducing the index multiplier to $250

times the S&P 500 from $500 times the

S&P 500. The CME also proposes to

increase the S&P 500 futures and option

minimum price fluctuations to 0.10

index point from 0.05 index point, thus

maintaining the dollar value of the

minimum tick at $25.00 per contract.

Under the proposal, the unit of trading

in the S&P 500 futures option contract

would be two S&P 500 futures contracts.

Thus, the S&P 500 futures option would

be exercisable into two futures

contracts. The CME has represented that

it intends to implement these

amendments in October or November

1997 for application to existing and

newly listed contract months beginning

with the December 1997 contracts.

Separately, the CME proposes to

increase the size of the minimum price

fluctuation in the E-Mini S&P 500

futures and option contracts to 0.25

index point ($12.50 per contract) from

0.10 index point ($5.00 per contract).

Those amendments would be

implemented, for newly listed contract

months only, at the time the E-Mini S&P

500 futures and option contracts are

listed for trading. In support of its proposal to apply the

proposed S&P 500 futures and option

contract amendments to existing

contracts, the CME stated that sufficient

advance notice would be provided to

those who choose to offset their

positions. Further, the CME stated that,