61398 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 201 / Thursday, October 16, 2008 / Notices 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

e–mail. The mailbox address for 

providing e–mail comments is 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line of the e–mail 

comment the following document 

identifier: File No. 13614. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Skidmore or Kristy Beard, 

(301)713–2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject permit is requested under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended (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 one male pilot whale from the 

Lisbon Zoo (Jardim Zoolo ́gico de 

Lisboa), Estrada de Benfica, 158 - 160, 

1549 - 004, Lisboa, Portugal to Sea 

World of California. The applicant 

requests this import for the purpose of 

public display. The receiving facility, 

Sea World of California, 1720 South 

Shores Road, San Diego, CA 92109– 

7995 is: (1) open to the public on 

regularly scheduled basis with access 

that is not limited or restricted other 

than by charging for an admission fee; 

(2) offers an educational program based 

on professionally accepted standards of 

the AZA and the Alliance for Marine 

Mammal Parks and Aquariums; and (3) 

holds an Exhibitor’s License, number 

93–C–0069, issued by the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture under the 

Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 - 59). 

In addition to determining whether 

the applicant meets the three public 

display criteria, NMFS must determine 

whether the applicant has demonstrated 

that the proposed activity is humane 

and does not represent any unnecessary 

risks to the health and welfare of marine 

mammals; that 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 that the applicant’s 

expertise, facilities and resources are 

adequate to accomplish successfully the 

objectives and activities stated in the 

application. 

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. 

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: October 10, 2008. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–24596 Filed 10–15–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XL21 

Marine Mammals; File No. 633–1763 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for 

amendment. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) has 

requested an amendment to scientific 

research Permit No. 633–1763. 

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e–mail 

comments must be received on or before 

November 17, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review by 

selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public 

Comment’’ from the Features box on the 

Applications and Permits for Protected 

Species (APPS) home page, https:// 

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/index.cfm, and 

then selecting File No. 633–1763 from 

the list of available applications. These 

documents are also available upon 

written request or by appointment in the 

following office(s): 

Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

NMFS, 1315 East–West Highway, Room 

13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 

(301)713–2289; fax (301)427–2521. 

Northeast Region, NMFS, One 

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 

01930–2298; phone (978)281–9300; fax 

(978)281–9394; and 

Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th 

Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 

33701; phone (727)824–5312; fax 

(727)824–5309. 

Written comments or requests for a 

public hearing on this request should be 

submitted to the Chief, Permits, 

Conservation and Education 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 amendment 

request would be appropriate. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

facsimile at (301)427–2521, provided 

the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy 

submitted by mail and postmarked no 

later than the closing date of the 

comment period. 

Comments may also be submitted by 

e–mail. The mailbox address for 

providing e–mail comments is 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include 

in the subject line of the e–mail 

comment the following document 

identifier: File No. 633–1763. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kristy Beard or Kate Swails, (301)713– 

2289. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject amendment to Permit No. 633– 

1763, issued on April 21, 2005 (70 FR 

22299) 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), and the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

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

Permit No. 633–1763 authorizes the 

permit holder to harass North Atlantic 

right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) 

during close approaches for aerial and 

vessel surveys with associated photo– 

identification and behavioral 

observations in the Gulf of Maine, Cape 

Cod Bay, Great South Channel, and 

Georgia Bight, and the collection and 

export of sloughed right whale skin. The 

original application submitted by CCS 

included a request to collect biopsy 

samples from North Atlantic right 

whales. At the time of permit issuance, 

takes for biopsy samples were not 

authorized. NMFS is now reviewing the 

biopsy sample portion of the request as 

an amendment to Permit No. 633–1763. 

CCS requests authorization to biopsy 

sample up to 30 North Atlantic right 

whales annually during close vessel 

approaches for photo-identification and 

behavioral observation; authorization is 

requested to biopsy up to 10 of these 

right whales two times to contribute to 

individual whale’s health assessments. 

This work would continue long-term 

population monitoring to determine 

status and trends of this species in the 

North Atlantic. The amendment would 

be valid until the permit expires on May 

1, 2010. 

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. 
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 201 / Thursday, October 16, 2008 / Notices 61399 

Dated: October 9, 2008. 

P. Michael Payne, 

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 

Division, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–24597 Filed 10–15–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XL24 

Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee; 

Public Meetings 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of open public meeting. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a 

meeting of the Marine Fisheries 

Advisory Committee (MAFAC). This 

will be the second meeting to be held in 

the calendar year 2008. Agenda topics 

are provided under the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice. All 

full Committee sessions will be open to 

the public. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

November 12–14, 2008, from 8:30 a.m. 

to 5 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Hotel Chateau LeMoyne, 301 Rue 

Dauphine, New Orleans, LA 70112; 

(504) 581–1303 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Holliday, MAFAC Executive 

Director; (301) 713–2239 x120; e–mail: 

Mark.Holliday@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

required by section 10(a)(2) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2, notice is hereby given of 

a meeting of MAFAC. MAFAC was 

established by the Secretary of 

Commerce (Secretary) on February 17, 

1971, to advise the Secretary on all 

living marine resource matters that are 

the responsibility of the Department of 

Commerce. This committee advises and 

reviews the adequacy of living marine 

resource policies and programs to meet 

the needs of commercial and 

recreational fisheries, and 

environmental, State, consumer, 

academic, tribal, governmental and 

other national interests. The complete 

charter and summaries of prior meetings 

are located online at http:// 

www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocs/mafac/. 

Matters To Be Considered 

The order in which these matters are 

considered is subject to change. 

November 12, 2008 

The meeting will begin with opening 

remarks and introductions to the full 

committee from Dr. Jim Balsiger, Acting 

Assistant Administrator for NOAA 

Fisheries. The remainder of the day will 

cover various MAFAC administration 

and organizational matters, including: 

new member orientation; review of 

travel, financial disclosure and ethics 

requirements; and subcommittee 

organization, chairmanship, current 

issues, and future issues. 

November 13, 2008 

Updates will be presented on: 

Magnuson–Stevens Act Reauthorization; 

seafood inspection; and ecolabeling and 

seafood certification. Other topics to be 

discussed are the NOAA Fisheries 

Southeast Regional Office and Gulf of 

Mexico Regional Fishery Management 

Council experiences with individual 

fishery quotas, and the pending 

aquaculture amendment. 

November 14, 2008 

The Committee will hear 

presentations and discuss policies 

influencing U.S. fisheries infrastructure, 

with specific reference to the federal/ 

NOAA/state agency response to the 

effects of recent hurricane events on 

Gulf coast fisheries, including 

supporting infrastructure. This will be 

followed by a discussion of how to 

annually appraise progress on the 

MAFAC 2020 report recommendations, 

and a decision on the process for 

advancing/communicating the ideas 

contained in the MAFAC transition 

paper. The meeting will conclude with 

a review of action items and next steps, 

and a decision on the time and place of 

the spring 2009 meeting. 

Special Accommodations 

The meeting location is physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Requests for sign language 

interpretation or other auxiliary aids 

should be directed to Mark Holliday, 

MAFAC Executive Director; (301) 713– 

2239 x120 by 5 p.m. October 27, 2008. 

Dated: October 9, 2008. 

James W. Balsiger, 

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–24594 Filed 10–15–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Office of the Secretary 

[Transmittal Nos. 08–101] 

36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification 

AGENCY: Department of Defense, Defense 

Security Cooperation Agency. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Defense is 

publishing the unclassified text of a 

section 36(b)(1) arms sales notification. 

This is published to fulfill the 

requirements of section 155 of Public 

Law 104–164 dated 21 July 1996. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

B. English, DSCA/DBO/CFM, (703) 601– 

3740. 

The following is a copy of a letter to 

the Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Transmittals 08–101 

with attached transmittal, policy 

justification, and Sensitivity of 

Technology. 

Dated: October 7, 2008. 

Patricia L. Toppings, 

OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, 

Department of Defense. 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–M