[Federal Register: March 19, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 53)]

[Notices]               

[Page 13281-13282]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr19mr03-47]                         



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE



National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration



[I.D. 010203E]



 

Marine Mammals; File No. 1026-1671



AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.



[[Page 13282]]





ACTION: Issuance of permit.



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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Belinda L. Rubinstein, New England 

Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110 has been issued a permit to 

take harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), harp seals (Phoca groenlandica), 

gray seals (Halichoerus grypus), hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) and 

ringed seals (Phoca hispida) for purposes of scientific research.



ADDRESSES: The permit 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)713-0376;

    Northeast Region, NMFS, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-

2298; phone (978)281-9200; fax (978)281-9371; andSoutheast Region, 

NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2432; 

phone (727)570-5301; fax (727)570-5320.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Ruth Johnson, (301)713-

2289.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 5, 2002, notice was published in 

the Federal Register (67 FR 50632) that a request for a scientific 

research permit to take harbor seals, harp seals, gray seals, hooded 

seals, and ringed seals had been submitted by the above-named 

individual. 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.), and the Regulations Governing the Taking and Importing of Marine 

Mammals (50 CFR part 216).

    Solitary seals will be captured, tagged, sampled (including tooth 

extraction, blubber biopsy, blood and milk collection, anal swabs and 

fecal samples), and released. In addition to taking wild animals, the 

applicant also requests authority to sample conspecifics held in 

rehabilitation facilities. Samples may be exported and re-imported for 

analyses. The purposes of the research are to study habitat utilization 

using satellite telemetry and flipper tagging, determine stock 

association, and monitor health of phocids along the east coast of the 

U.S., from Maine to Virginia.



    Dated: March 11, 2003.

Stephen L. Leathery,

Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 

Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 03-6594 Filed 3-18-03; 8:45 am]



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