Marine Mammals; Scientific Research Permit (PHF#sign; 707-1531-00)

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Issuance of Permit.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that the University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Social Sciences, Hawaii Hall 105, Honolulu, HI 96822, has been issued a permit to take North Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) for purposes of scientific research.

ADDRESSES:

The permit and related documents are available for review upon written request or by appointment (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jeannie Drevenak, 301/713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On September 24, 1999, notice was published in the Federal Register (64 FR 51739) that a request for a scientific research permit to take the above-references species had been submitted by the above-named organization. The requested permit has 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 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered fish and wildlife (50 CFR parts 222 - 226).

Issuance of this permit, 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.

Addresses: The permit and related documents are available for review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:

Permits Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-2289);

Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (562/980-4001);

Protected Species Program Manager, Pacific Islands Area Office, 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700;

Regional Administrator, Alaska Region, 709 W. 9th Street, Federal Building, Room 461, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802 (907/586-7235); and

Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Bin C15700, Building 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070 (206/526-4489).