[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24686-24687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9962]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA714


Endangered Species; File No. 15634

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science 
Center (SWFSC), 3333 N. Torrey Pines Ct., La Jolla, CA 92037, 
[Responsible Party: Lisa Ballance, Ph.D.] has been issued a permit to 
take leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) for purposes of 
scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit 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;
    Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Bldg. 
1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone (206) 526-6150; fax (206) 526-6426; 
and
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 21, 2011, notice was published 
in the Federal Register (76 FR 58471) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take leatherback sea turtles had been submitted by 
the above-named organization. The requested permit has been issued 
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 
parts 222-226).

[[Page 24687]]

    A five-year permit has been issued to the SWFSC to continue long-
term monitoring of the status of leatherback sea turtles off the coasts 
of California, Oregon, and Washington. The purpose of the work is to 
identify critical forage habitats, genetic stock structure, migratory 
corridors, and potential fishery impacts for leatherbacks. Sea turtles 
would be located by aerial surveys and approached by vessel for remote 
tissue sampling and transmitter attachment. A subset of animals would 
be captured by breakaway hoopnet for additional observation, sampling, 
marking and/or tagging procedures before release.
    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 such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

     Dated: April 20, 2012.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-9962 Filed 4-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P