AGENCY:
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:
Issuance of permit amendment.
SUMMARY:
Notice is hereby given that Sea World, Inc., 7007 Sea World Drive, Orlando, Florida 32821-8097 (Principal Investigator: Dudley Wigdahl, Sea World of Texas) has been issued an amendment to Permit No. 116-1477-01 to take Hawaiian monk seals, Monachus schauinslandi, for scientific research and enhancement purposes.
ADDRESSES:
The 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)713-0376; and
Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax (562)980-4018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amy Sloan or Jennifer Skidmore, (301)713-2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The requested amendment has been granted under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the provisions of § 216.39 of 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 provisions of § 222.306 of the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).
This amendment extends the expiration date of the permit from December 31, 2003 to December 31, 2004.
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.
Dated: December 23, 2003.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-32231 Filed 12-30-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S