Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 145 /Wednesday, July 29, 1998 / Notices 40513

Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

International Fisheries Division, 1315

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD

20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert A. Dickinson, Office of

Sustainable Fisheries, (301) 713–2276.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

204(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16

U.S.C. 1824(d)) provides, among other

things, that the Secretary of Commerce

(Secretary) may issue a transshipment

permit which authorizes a vessel other

than a vessel of the United States to

engage in fishing consisting solely of

transporting fish or fish products at sea

from a point within the U.S. Exclusive

Economic Zone (EEZ) or, with the

concurrence of a State, within the

boundaries of that State to a point

outside the United States. NMFS has

received an application requesting

authorization for three Mexican vessels

to receive within the area of the U.S.

EEZ south of 34° N. lat., and east of 121°

W. long., transfers of live tuna from a

U.S. purse seiner for the purpose of

transporting the tuna alive to the

Mexican EEZ.

Section 204(d)(3) of the MagnusonStevens Act provides, among other

things, that an appliaction may not be

approved until the Secretary determines

that ‘‘no owner or operator of a vessel

of the United States which has adequate

capacity to perform the transportation

for which the application is submitted

has indicated...an interest in performing

the transportation at fair and reasonable

rates.’’ NMFS is publishing this notice

as part of its effort to make this

determination.

Interested U.S. vessel owners and

operators may obtain a copy of the

complete application, including vessel

modifications necessary to

accommodate the pens into which the

live tuna will be placed, from NMFS

(See ADDRESSES).

Dated: July 23, 1998.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–20212 Filed 7-28-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 071698C]

Marine Mammals; File No. P66j

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of permit amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

Mr. Wayne C. Regelin, Director,

Division of Wildlife Conservation,

Alaska Department of Fish and Game,

P.O. Box 25526, Juneau, AK 99802–

5526, has been issued an amendment to

scientific research Permit No. 965

(P66j).

ADDRESSES: The amendment 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); and

Regional Administrator, Alaska

Region, National Marine Fisheries

Service, NOAA, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau,

AK, 99802–1668 (907/586–7221).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth Johnson or Sara Shapiro, 301/713–

2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 3,

1998, notice was published in the

Federal Register (63 FR 30201) that an

amendment of Permit No. 965, issued

June 19, 1995 (60 FR 34233), 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 provisions of § 216.39 of 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 provisions of § 222.25

of the regulations governing the taking,

importing, and exporting of endangered

fish and wildlife (50 CFR 222.23).

Permit No. 965 (P66j) authorizes the

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

(ADF&G) to: take a maximum of 125

Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

by trapping (including leash capture),

darting, sampling, and anesthesia

(including a maximum of 20 by

recapture for follow-up blood sampling

and removal of instruments); a

maximum of 400 Steller pups over 6

months old by hand capture, gas

anesthesia, and marking; a maximum of

10,000 Stellers by harassment during

the course of capturing suitable animals;

a maximum of 15 Stellers by

unintentional mortality during the

course of capture and chemical

immobilization; and salvage specimens

of stranded animals, premature pups,

and mortalities associated with this and

other research activities. The Holder is

also authorized to take up to 30

rehabilitated California sea lions

(Zalophus californianus) by injection

with experimental immobilization drugs

and a maximum of 3 for unintentional

mortality. All takes will be over a 5-year

period.

The amendment authorizes the

Holder to take 25 additional (50 total)

juvenile Steller sea lions (Eumetopias

jubatus) annually using the underwater

leash capture method to adequately

describe the basic life history and

ecology of this age class.

Issuance of this amendment, 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 endangered

species which is the subject of this

permit, and (3) is consistent with the

purposes and policies set forth in

section 2 of the ESA.

Dated: July 23, 1998.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits and Documentation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–20167 Filed 7-28-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 072298A]

Marine Mammals; File No. 715–1457

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr.

A.W. Trites, Research Director, North

Pacific Universities Marine Mammal

Research Consortium, 6248 Biological

Sciences Road, Hut B3, Room 18,

University of British Columbia,

Vancouver, B.C. Canada, V6T 1Z4, has

applied in due form for a permit to take

Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments

must be received on or before August

28, 1998.

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); and

Regional Administrator, Alaska

Region, National Marine Fisheries