[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11273-11274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4518]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 020701A]


Marine Mammals; Permit No. 779-1339-00

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

ACTION: Issuance of permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Southeast Fisheries Science 
Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, 
Miami, FL 33149 (Principal Investigator: Dr. Keith D. Mullin) has been 
issued an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 779-1339-02.

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);
    Regional Administrator, Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive 
Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2432 (813/570-5312); and
    Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS, One Blackburn 
Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930, (978/281-9250).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Johnson or Tammy Adams, 301/713-
2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 13, 2000, notice was published 
in the Federal Register (65 FR 55224) that an amendment of Permit No. 
779-1339, issued July 8, 1997 (62 FR 38069), had been granted to the 
above-named organization. The requested amendment was been granted 
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)but did not 
include an increase in takes for endangered species. This amendment is 
granted under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and the regulations governing 
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-227).
    Permit 779-1339 authorized the Holder to: (1) harass cetaceans for 
the purpose of estimating abundance, collecting behavioral data, 
photography and biopsy sampling, and (2) collect and import biopsy 
tissue samples taken with a projectile dart from cetaceans. This 
amendment increased the number of humpback whale biopsy samples that 
could be taken annually.
    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.


[[Page 11274]]


    Dated: February 20, 2001.
Eugene Nitta,
Acting Chief, Permits and Documentation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-4518 Filed 2-22-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S