Marine Mammals; File Nos. 715-1883 and 881-1745, 41064-41065 [E7-14457]

Download as PDF 41064 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 143 / Thursday, July 26, 2007 / Notices rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) intends to prepare a DEIS to describe and analyze management alternatives to be included in an amendment to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and the FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. These alternatives will consider measures to implement a minimum import size on spiny lobster. The purpose of this notice of intent is to solicit public comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS. DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS must be received by the Council by August 27, 2007. A series of scoping meetings will be held in September, 2007. ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the DEIS and requests for additional information on the amendment should be sent to the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918–25772203; telephone: 787–766–5927; fax: 787– 766–6239. Comments may also be sent by e-mail to Graciela.GarciaMoliner@noaa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Graciela Garcia-Moliner; phone: 787– 766–5927; fax: 787–766–6239; e-mail: Graciela.Garcia-Moliner@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Spiny Lobster (Paniluris argus)in the Southeast Region is managed under a Caribbean FMP and a joint Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic FMP. All three Southeast fishery mangement councils have expressed concern recently about the effects of imports of spiny lobster that are smaller than the size limits in the U.S. spiny lobster FMPs. In many instances, imports are also undersized based on size limits established in the country of origin. Many Caribbean and Central and South American nations share these concerns, and scientific evidence suggests that larvae from one area or region within this species’ range may contribute to stock recruitment in other areas or regions. The Caribbean Fishery Management Council has expressed intent to amend its Spiny Lobster FMP to consider application of a minimum size limit on imported spiny lobster. NOAA Fisheries VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:36 Jul 25, 2007 Jkt 211001 believes amendment of the Gulf and South Atlantic Spiny Lobster FMP should be addressed concurrently. After conferring with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Caribbean Council was designated as the administrative lead to address spiny lobster issues. Thus, the Caribbean Council will prepare one document, which contains an amendment to the Caribbean Spiny Lobster FMP and also an amendment to the Gulf and South Atlantic Spiny Lobster FMP. The Caribbean Council will develop a DEIS to describe and analyze management alternatives to implement a minimum size limit on imported spiny lobster. The amendment will provide updates to the best available scientific information regarding Paniluris argus, and based on the information, the Councils will determine what actions and alternatives are necessary to protect spiny lobster throughout its range. Those alternatives may include, but are not limited to: a ‘‘no action’’ alternative regarding the fishery; alternatives to restrict the minimum import size based on carapace length; alternatives to restrict the minimum import size based on tail length; and alternatives to restrict the importation of meat, which is not whole lobster or tailed lobster. In accordance with NOAA’s Administrative Order NAO 216–6, Section 5.02(c), the Caribbean Council has identified this preliminary range of alternatives as a means to initiate discussion for scoping purposes only. This may not represent the full range of alternatives that eventually will be evaluated by the Caribbean Council. Once the Caribbean Council completes the DEIS associated with the amendment to the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Caribbean, it must be approved by a majority of the voting members, present and voting, of the Carribean Council. Similarly, the Gulf and South Atlantic Spiny Lobster FMP amendment and associated DEIS must be approved by those Councils. After the Councils approve this document, the DEIS will be submitted to NMFS for filing with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA will publish a notice of availability of the DEIS for public comment in the Federal Register. The DEIS will have a 45–day comment period. This procedure is pursuant to regulations issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 40 CFR parts 1500–1508) and to NOAA’s Administrative Order PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 216–6 regarding NOAA’s compliance with NEPA and the CEQ regulations. The Councils will consider public comments received on the DEIS in developing the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and before adopting final management measures for the amendment. The Councils will submit both the final joint amendment and the supporting FEIS to NMFS for review by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. NMFS will announce, through a notice published in the Federal Register, the availability of the final joint amendment for public review during the Secretarial review period. During Secretarial review, NMFS will also file the FEIS with the EPA for a final 30–day public comment period. This comment period will be concurrent with the Secretarial review period and will end prior to final agency action to approve, disapprove, or partially approve the final joint amendment. NMFS will announce, through a notice published in the Federal Register, all public comment periods on the final joint amendment, its proposed implementing regulations, and its associated FEIS. NMFS will consider all public comments received during the Secretarial review period, whether they are on the final amendment, the proposed regulations, or the FEIS, prior to final agency action. Dated: July 20, 2007. Emily Menashes, Acting Director, Office Of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E7–14451 Filed 7–25–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 020907C] Marine Mammals; File Nos. 715–1883 and 881–1745 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit and permit amendment. AGENCY: SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Permit No. 715–1883 for conduct of research on northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) has been issued to the North Pacific Universities Marine Mammal Research Consortium (NPUMMRC), University of British E:\FR\FM\26JYN1.SGM 26JYN1 rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 143 / Thursday, July 26, 2007 / Notices Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.; and Permit Amendment No. 881–1745–02 has been issued to the The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC), Seward, AK, for conduct of research on Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in captivity at the ASLC. ADDRESSES: The permit amendment and related documents are available for review 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; https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/ review.htm; andAlaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802– 1668; phone (907)586–7221; fax (907)586–7249. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Tammy Adams, (301)713–2289. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 15, 2007, notice was published in the Federal Register (72 FR 7420) that a request for a scientific research permit and permit amendment to take the species identified above had been submitted by the above-named institutions, respectively. The requested permit and permit amendment have been issued 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 (ESA; 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.), as applicable. Permit No. 715–1883 issued to NPUMMRC authorizes the capture in Alaska and export to Canada of up to 6 female juvenile fur seals for captive research on nutritional physiology. Permit Amendment No. 881–1745–02 authorizes captive breeding and research on captive Steller sea lions held at the ASLC related to studies on the physiology of gestation and lactation. This is in addition to already permitted studies, which include condition assessments, endocrinology and immunology studies, metabolism studies, and studies of foraging behavior. The permit and permit amendment are valid through August 1, 2009, and contain requirements for coordination and monitoring of research as well as mitigation measures deemed appropriate by NMFS. The permit and VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:36 Jul 25, 2007 Jkt 211001 permit amendment cannot be amended or extended. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research was prepared to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of awarding grants and issuing permits to facilitate research on these species. Information about the PEIS is available at https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/ permits/eis/steller.htm. Issuance of the permit to the ASLC, as required by the ESA, was based on a finding that the permit: (1) was applied for in good faith; (2) will not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered species; and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA. Dated: July 19, 2007. P. Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E7–14457 Filed 7–25–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XB65 New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Scallop Committee, in August, 2007, to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate. This meeting will be held on Thursday, August 16, 2007, at 8:30 a.m. ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire Street, Mansfield, MA 02360; telephone: (508) 339–2200; fax: (508) 339–1040. Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 41065 England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The committee will review input from the Scallop Advisory Panels and Scallop Plan Development Team related to the development of Framework 19. The committee will also consider management measures for consideration in Framework 19 including days-at-sea allocations, access area allocations, specific measures for the general category scallop fishery, improvements to the observer set-aside program, and other measures. Framework 19 is a biennial action that will consider management measures for fishing years 2008 and 2009. The committee may consider other topics at their discretion. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. 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 Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, at (978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: July 20, 2007. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E7–14387 Filed 7–25–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Department of Education. The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before August 27, 2007. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Office of AGENCY: SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\26JYN1.SGM 26JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 143 (Thursday, July 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41064-41065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14457]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 020907C]


Marine Mammals; File Nos. 715-1883 and 881-1745

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

ACTION:  Notice; issuance of permit and permit amendment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that Permit No. 715-1883 for conduct 
of research on northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) has been issued 
to the North Pacific Universities Marine Mammal Research Consortium 
(NPUMMRC), University of British

[[Page 41065]]

Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.; and Permit Amendment No. 881-1745-02 has 
been issued to the The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC), Seward, AK, for 
conduct of research on Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in 
captivity at the ASLC.

ADDRESSES:  The permit amendment and related documents are available 
for review 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; https://
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/review.htm; andAlaska Region, NMFS, P.O. 
Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone (907)586-7221; fax (907)586-
7249.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Amy Sloan or Tammy Adams, (301)713-
2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 15, 2007, notice was published 
in the Federal Register (72 FR 7420) that a request for a scientific 
research permit and permit amendment to take the species identified 
above had been submitted by the above-named institutions, respectively. 
The requested permit and permit amendment have been issued 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 (ESA; 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.), as applicable.
    Permit No. 715-1883 issued to NPUMMRC authorizes the capture in 
Alaska and export to Canada of up to 6 female juvenile fur seals for 
captive research on nutritional physiology.
    Permit Amendment No. 881-1745-02 authorizes captive breeding and 
research on captive Steller sea lions held at the ASLC related to 
studies on the physiology of gestation and lactation. This is in 
addition to already permitted studies, which include condition 
assessments, endocrinology and immunology studies, metabolism studies, 
and studies of foraging behavior.
    The permit and permit amendment are valid through August 1, 2009, 
and contain requirements for coordination and monitoring of research as 
well as mitigation measures deemed appropriate by NMFS. The permit and 
permit amendment cannot be amended or extended.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(PEIS) for Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research was prepared 
to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of awarding grants and 
issuing permits to facilitate research on these species. Information 
about the PEIS is available at https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/eis/
steller.htm.
    Issuance of the permit to the ASLC, as required by the ESA, was 
based on a finding that the permit: (1) was applied for in good faith; 
(2) will not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered species; 
and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in 
section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: July 19, 2007.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-14457 Filed 7-25-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S

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