Endangered Species; File No. 14381

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice; receipt of application.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Pacific Islands Region, 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96814, has applied in due form for a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

DATES:

Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or before June 12, 2009.

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. 14381 from the list of available applications. These documents are also available for review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:

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; and

Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808) 944-2200; fax (808) 973-2941.

Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this application should be mailed 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 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. 14381.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patrick Opay or Kate Swails, (301) 713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The subject permit is requested under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 222-226).

The research would collect scientific data on sea turtles incidentally captured in the Hawaii Deep-Set Longline Fishery, the Hawaii Shallow-Set Longline Fishery, and the American Samoa Longline Fishery. This data would assist NMFS efforts to understand sea turtle interactions with the fisheries and to mitigate their threat to these species. The applicant proposes to flipper tag, measure, photograph, tissue sample, and attach satellite tags to an anticipated annual take of up to 46 loggerhead, 16 leatherback, one green, and four olive ridley sea turtles captured in the Hawaii Deep-Set Longline Fishery. The applicant proposes to flipper tag, measure, photograph, tissue sample, and attach satellite tags to an anticipated annual take of up to six loggerhead, one leatherback, six green, six olive ridley, and six hawksbill sea turtles captured in the American Samoa Longline Fishery. The applicant proposes to flipper tag, measure, photograph, tissue sample, and attach satellite tags to an anticipated annual take of up to six (18 over three years) loggerhead, 13 (39 over three years) leatherback, seven (21 over three years) green, and 41 (123 over three years) olive ridley sea turtles captured in the Hawaii Shallow-Set Longline Fishery. The research would occur in the Pacific Ocean through April 1, 2015. No mortalities are expected from the research. Researchers would also collect sea turtle carcasses of animals killed in fishery activities that occur in the Pacific Ocean.