Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 224 / Monday, November 20, 2000 / Notices 69737

These additional projections are based

on assumptions of juvenile red snapper

shrimp trawl bycatch mortality and

natural mortality suggested by an

outside biologist which differ from the

assumptions used by NMFS. The

outside biologist has proposed that the

shrimp trawl bycatch mortality is lower,

and the natural mortality is higher, than

those used in the NMFS red snapper

stock assessments. The results of these

analyses will initially be presented by

NMFS at the November 13–17, 2000,

Council meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi,

and may subsequently be reviewed by

the RFSAP if requested by the Council.

The analyses must be peer reviewed by

the RFSAP before they can be used as

a basis for changing the red snapper

total allowable catch.

Although non-emergency issues not

on the agendas may come before the

RFSAP for discussion, in accordance

with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), those issues

may not be the subject of formal action

during these meetings. Actions of the

RFSAP will be restricted to those issues

specifically identified in theagendas and

any issues arising after publication of

this notice that require emergency

action under Section 305(c) of the

Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the

public has been notified of the Council’s

intent to take action to address the

emergency.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to

Anne Alford (see ADDRESSES) at least 5

days prior to the meeting dates.

Dated: November 14, 2000.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–29637 Filed 11–17–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 111500A]

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery

Management Council and the New

England Fishery Management Council’s

Joint Dogfish Committee will hold a

public meeting.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Thursday, December 7, 2000, from 10

a.m. – 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Sheraton International Hotel, BWI

Airport, 7032 Elm Road, Baltimore, MD;

telephone 410–859–3300.

Council Address: Mid-Atlantic

Fishery Management Council, Room

2115, 300 S. New Street, Dover, DE

19904. New England Fishery

Management Council, 50 Water Street,

The Tannery — Mill 2, Newburyport,

MA 01950.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Daniel T. Furlong, Executive Director,

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; telephone 302–674–2331, ext.

19, or Paul Howard, Executive Director,

New England Fishery Management

Council; telephone 978–465–0492.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of this meeting is to develop

recommendations to the Mid-Atlantic

and New England Fishery Management

Councils for management measures for

the spiny dogfish fishery for the 2001–

2002 fishing year based on

recommendations of the Spiny Dogfish

Monitoring Committee.

Although non-emergency issues not

contained in this notice may come

before these Councils for discussion,

those issues may not be the subject of

formal Council action during this

meeting. Council action will be

restricted to those issues specifically

listed in this notice and any issues

arising after publication of this notice

that require emergency action under

section 305(c) of the Magnuson Stevens

Act, provided the public has been

notified of the Council’s intent to take

final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to

Joanna Davis at 302–674–2331 at least 5

days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: November 15, 2000

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–29640 Filed 11–17–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 103000C]

Marine Mammals; File No. 821–1588

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Texas A&M University, Department of

Marine Biology, 5007 Avenue U,

Galveston, TX 776551, (Principal

Investigator: Dr. Randall W. Davis), has

applied in due form for a permit to take

marine mammals for purposes of

scientific research.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments

must be received on or before December

20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The application and related

documents are available for review

upon written request or by appointment

in the following office(s):

Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130,

Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713–

2289);

Regional Administrator, Southeast

Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center

Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702–

2432 (813/570–5312);and

Regional Administrator, Southwest

Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd.,

Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802–4213

(562/980–4001).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth Johnson and Simona Roberts, 301/

713–2289.

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.), the

Regulations Governing the Taking and

Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR

part 216), 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 222–227).

The application has three different

projects: PROJECT I. — Hunting

Behavior and Energics of Weddell Seals:

Up to 40 Weddell seals (Leptonychotes

weddellii) will be captured, tagged,

handled, annually. The study will

investigate the behavioral and energetic

adaptations that enable Weddell seals to

forage in the Antarctic fast-ice

environment. Hypotheses on general

69738 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 224 / Monday, November 20, 2000 / Notices

foraging strategies, searching behavior,

searching mechanics, modes of

swimming, metabolic costs of foraging

and foraging efficiency for different

environmental conditions and prey type

will be tested. Activities will occur in

Antarctica.

PROJECT II — Stock Assessment: Up

to 28 species of cetaceans will be taken

by photo-id/photogrammery, behavioral

observation, biopsy sampling and

satellite tagging. The goals of this

research are to study cetacean behavior

through direct observation and by

attaching SLTDRs and video camera/

data recorders to certain species.

PROJECT III — Physiological

Adaptations and Genetics Using Tissues

of Marine Mammals: Import/export

specimen materials from South Africa,

Canada, and other locations as

specimens may become available. This

study of diving adaptations of marine

mammals muscle, skeletal material, and

other related samples will be obtained

from South Africa, Canada, and possibly

other locations.

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial

determination has been made that the

activity proposed is categorically

excluded from the requirement to

prepare an environmental assessment or

environmental impact statement.

Written comments or requests for a

public hearing on this application

should be mailed to the Chief, Permits

and Documentation 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 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. Please note that

comments will not be accepted by email or by other electronic media.

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 7, 2000.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–29638 Filed 11–17–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 110300C]

Marine Mammals; File No. 731–1509–01

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Robin Baird, Ph.D., 2 Supanee Court,

French’s Road, Cambridge CB4 3LB,

UNITED KINGDOM, has requested an

amendment to Scientific Research

Permit No. 731–1509–01.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments

must be received on or before December

20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The amendment request

and related documents are available for

review upon written request or by

appointment in the following office(s):

Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705,

Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713–

2289);

Regional Administrator, Northwest

Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way,

NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA

98115–0070 (206/526–6426);

Regional Administrator, Southwest

Region, 501 West Ocean Boulevard,

Suite 4200, Long Beach, California

90802–4213, (562/980–4021); and

Regional Administrator, Alaska

Region, Federal Building, Room 461,

709 West 9th Street, Juneau, Alaska

99802, (907/586–7235).

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. Please note that

comments will not be accepted by email or other electronic media.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill

Lewandowski, (301)713–2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

subject amendment to Permit No. 731–

1509–01, issued on November 24, 1999

(64 FR 67563–67564) is requested 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), the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the

regulations governing the taking,

importing, and exporting of endangered

and threatened species (50 CFR 222–

226), and the Fur Seal Act of 1966, as

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

Permit No.731–1509–01 authorizes

the applicant to conduct radio tagging

via suction-cup attachment, photoidentification, and behavioral

observations of species of cetaceans in

the waters of Washington, Southeast

Alaska, Oregon, California, Hawaii, and

the Mediterranean and Ligurian Seas in

order to study diving behavior of the

subject cetacean species. The authority

of this permit expires on July 31, 2004.

The applicant is now forwarding three

requests. (1) Increase suction cup

tagging takes of Humpback whales

(Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaii

from 15 to 35 annually. (2) Increase

harassment takes incidental to suction

cup tagging of Humpback whales

(Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaii

from 25 to 50 annu Globicephala

macrorhynchus ally. (3) Allow for

biopsy sampling of cetacean species in

the following waters:

(a) Mediterranean and Ligurian Seas30 takes for each species of Cuvier’s

beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris),

Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus),

Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala

macrorhynchus ),Striped dolphin

(Stenella coeruleoalba); 15 takes for Fin

whales (Balaenoptera physalus); and 45

takes for Sperm whales (Physeter

macrocephalus).

(b) Hawaii- 60 takes for each species

of Killer whale (Orcinus orca), Shortfinned pilot whale (Globicephala

macrorhynchus), Melon-headed whale

(Peponocephala electra), False killer

whale (Pseudorca crassidens), Pygmy

killer whale (Feresa attenuata), Spinner

dolphin (Stenella longirostris),

Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella

attenuata), Striped dolphin (Stenella

coeruleoalba), Risso’s dolphin

(Grampus griseus), Rough-toothed

dolphin (Steno bredanensis), Bottlenose

dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Dwarf

sperm whale (Kogia simus), Pygmy

sperm whale (Kogia breviceps),

Bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon sp.),

Baird’s beaked whale (Berardius

bairdii), Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius

cavirostris), Blainville’s beaked whale

(Mesoplodon densirostris), Bryde’s

whale (Balaenoptera edeni); and 45

takes for each species of Sperm whale

(Physeter macrocephalus), Sei whale

(Balaenoptera borealis), Humpback

whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), Fin

whale (Balaenoptera physalus), Blue

whale (Balaenoptera musculus), and

Northern right whale (Eubalaena

glacialis).

(c) California, Oregon, Washington

and Alaska- 60 takes for each species of

Killer whale (Orcinus orca), ShortVerDate 11<MAY>2000 18:39 Nov 17, 2000 Jkt 194001 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\20NON1.SGM pfrm01 PsN: 20NON1