02-13019. Endangered Species; File No. 1346

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Issuance of permit.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that Thomas McCormick (Principal Investigator), Channel Islands Marine Resource Institute (CIMRI), P.O. Box 1627, Port Hueneme, California 93044, has been issued a permit to take white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) for purposes of scientific research and enhancement.

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 [phone]; fax [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lillian Becker or Jennifer Skidmore [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On August 31, 2001, notice was published in the Federal Register (66 FR 45971) that a request for a scientific research permit to take species listed above had been submitted by the above-named individual. The requested permit has been issued under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).

The Holder was issued five-year permit to maintain captively bred white abalone for scientific research and enhancement at the CIMRI Hatchery. Research Activities include feeding studies, propagation studies and studies identified as goals for the long term recovery of the white abalone. The action only covers the propagation of animals collected before June 28, 2001.

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.

Dated: May 17, 2002.

Eugene T. Nitta,

Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.