[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 52 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-6211]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 17, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 030394A]

 

Marine Mammals

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

ACTION: Receipt of application for a public display permit (P462G).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Ervin and Sonja Strong, dba/The 
Dolphin Connection, 215 Bridgeport Avenue, Suite 4, Corpus Christi, TX 
78402, have applied in due form for a permit to take marine mammals.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 18, 1994.

ADDRESSES: The application 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); and
Director, Southeast Region, NMFS, NOAA, 9450 Koger Boulevard, room 206, 
St. Petersburg, FL 33702 (813/893-3141).

    Written data or views, or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be submitted to the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries, NMFS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice. Those individuals requesting a hearing should set forth 
the specific reasons why a hearing on this particular request would be 
appropriate. The holding of such a hearing is at the discretion of the 
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, the Secretary of Commerce is forwarding copies of this 
application to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of 
Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 
et seq.) and the Regulations Governing the Taking and Importing of 
Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    The applicants request authorization to approach, harass, observe, 
and feed Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the wild 
in Corpus Christi Bay, for purposes of public display. It should be 
noted that on October 14, 1993, the NMFS published in the Federal 
Register (58 FR 53320) a Proposed Rule to Revise Regulations for Public 
Display, Scientific Research and Enhancement Permits which would 
clarify that public display activities may occur in captive settings 
only. Thus, if this rule becomes final as proposed, it will not provide 
for conduct of the type of activity being requested by the applicants.
    In addition, NMFS regulations define the term ``take'' as including 
feeding wild populations of marine mammals due to increased incidental 
interactions with commercial fishing vessels, alterations in feeding 
behaviors and migratory patterns, and vulnerability to disease 
transmission. [See Final Rule published in the Federal Register March 
20, 1991 (56 FR 11693-97).]

    Dated: March 10, 1994.
William W. Fox, Jr.,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 94-6211 Filed 3-16-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P