17316 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 1995 / Notices

whales (Mesoplodon densirostris),

Antillean beaked whales (Mesoplodon

europaeus), true’s beaked whales

(Mesoplodon mirus), white whales

(Delphinapterus leucas), sperm whales

(Physeter macrocephalus), fin whales

(Balaenoptera physalus), minke whales

(Balaenoptera acutorostrata), blue

whales (Balaenoptera musculus), sei

whales (Balaenoptera borealis),

humpback whales (Megaptera

novaeangliae), Northern right whales

(Eubalaena glacialis), killer whales

(Orcinus orca), Bryde’s whales

(Balaenoptera edeni), and pygmy killer

whales (Feresa attenuata). In addition,

the applicant seeks authorization to take

annually by harassment 180 leatherback

sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) and

270 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta

caretta). Proposed taking will be by

close approach (within 650 feet) of a

fixed-wing aircraft at a speed of 80–140

mph to document the presence, density,

and distribution of marine mammals.

Surveys will be conducted from April

1995 through October 1996 in Norfolk,

Virginia, and Mayport, Florida, and will

encompass the continental shelf edge

(300–600 feet depth contours). The

results of the aerial survey will provide

an adequate biological assessment of the

two proposed survey areas with respect

to habitat utilization by marine

mammals and aid in selecting a

candidate site for shock testing the

SEAWOLF submarine.

Dated: March 30, 1995.

Ann D. Terbush,

Chief, Permits & Documentation Division,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95–8252 Filed 4–4–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 031795B]

Endangered Species; Permits

On February 13, 1995, an application

was filed by the Idaho Department of

Fish and Game (IDFG) for a

modification to their scientific research

and enhancement Permit 795 (P503A).

Permit 795, issued on July 29, 1992,

allows IDFG to carry out scientific

research and enhancement activities,

including a captive broodstock program,

with endangered Snake River sockeye

salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) as

authorized by the Endangered Species

Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543)

and the NMFS regulations governing

listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR

parts 217-227).

To reduce risks, some aspects of the

endangered Snake River sockeye salmon

captive broodstock program have been

divided between IDFG and NMFS’s

Northwest Fisheries Science Center

(NWFSC). Eggs taken from the only

female sockeye that returned to Redfish

Lake in 1991 were transferred from

Idaho to the University of Washington’s

Big Beef Creek Hatchery in Seattle,

under the responsibility of NMFS, as

authorized by Permit 795. These eggs

were reared to maturity and spawned

with the major complication being the

incidence of Bacterial Kidney Disease

(BKD). The degree of BKD infection was

recorded based on the optical density

(O.D.) of samples as determined by

Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay

(ELISA).

The eggs with O.D.’s of less than 0.2

have been transferred back to Idaho for

final rearing. Idaho will not accept eggs

with higher BKD levels. The higher BKD

level eggs are being held and hatched at

Big Beef Creek Hatchery rather than

culled. The capability to raise these fish

to smolt size does not exist at Big Beef

Creek Hatchery. The health and wellbeing of these listed fish is in jeopardy

because they will have to be killed if

they are not transferred to an adequate

rearing facility. IDFG, in coordination

with NWFSC, applied for a modification

to Permit 795 to allow the transfer of

these listed fish to the Oregon

Department of Fish and Wildlife

(ODFW) Mitchell Act funded rearing

facility at Bonneville Hatchery for final

rearing. ODFW will rear the fish at

Bonneville Hatchery in accordance with

the guidelines recommended by the

Integrated Hatchery Oversight Team.

ODFW employs these hatchery practices

in their other fishery production

programs. ODFW will be acting as an

agent of IDFG under the terms and

conditions of Permit 795 in the care and

maintenance of these fish until a

separate ESA Section 10 permit is

issued to NWFSC authorizing the

release of these fish, which is expected

to occur in the spring of 1996. The

release locations and other aspects of

the release strategy will be determined

by the results of a joint technical

meeting on this issue, to be held later

this year among the involved agencies

and Tribes.

Notice is hereby given that on March

29, 1995, as authorized by the

provisions of the ESA, NMFS issued an

amendment of Modification 4 to Permit

795 for the above take, subject to certain

conditions set forth therein.

Notice is hereby given that the Idaho

Department of Fish and Game (IDFG)

has applied in due form for

Modification 6 to scientific research and

enhancement Permit 795 (P503A) to

take listed species as authorized by the

ESA and the NMFS regulations

governing listed fish and wildlife

permits.

For Modification 6 to Permit 795,

IDFG requests authorization to: (1)

release broodyear (BY) 1994 juvenile

sockeye progeny of listed adults directly

into Redfish Lake or into net pens in

Redfish Lake in July and directly into

the lake in October, 1995; (2) release BY

1994 juvenile sockeye progeny of listed

adults directly into Pettit Lake in June,

1995; and (3) modify a condition in the

permit requiring that an auxiliary water

supply must accompany any vehicle

used to transport listed sockeye salmon

to pertain to the transport of listed

adults only. The releases of listed

sockeye broodstock into Pettit Lake has

previously been denied by NMFS since

the lake is stocked annually with

rainbow trout for recreational fishing,

under the authority of Permit 908.

NMFS is concerned about possible

interactions between stocked rainbow

trout and listed sockeye salmon in the

lake, primarily diet overlap and

predation. Permit 795 expires on July

31, 1997.

Written data or views, or requests for

a public hearing on this application

should be submitted to the Chief,

Endangered Species Division, Office of

Protected Resources, F/PR8, NMFS,

1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,

MD 20910–3226, within 30 days of the

publication of this notice. Those

individuals requesting a hearing should

set out the specific reasons why a

hearing on this particular application

would be appropriate. The holding of

such hearing is at the discretion of the

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

NOAA. All statements and opinions

contained in this application summary

are those of the applicant and do not

necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.

Documents submitted in connection

with the above application are available

for review by interested persons in the

following offices by appointment:

Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,

NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver

Spring, MD 20910–3226 (301–713–

1401); and

Environmental and Technical

Services Division, NMFS, NOAA, 525

North East Oregon St., Suite 500,

Portland, OR 97232 (503-230-5400).

Dated: March 29, 1995.

Russell J. Bellmer,

Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office

of Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95–8254 Filed 4–4–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F