2019-18170. Marine Mammals; File No. 22851

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice; receipt of application.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that Sea Life Park Hawaii, 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway #7, Waimanalo, HI 96795 (Valerie King, Responsible Party), has applied in due form for a permit to maintain non-releasable Hawaiian monk seals (Neomonachus schauinslandi) in captivity for enhancement purposes.

DATES:

Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or before September 23, 2019.

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,, and then selecting File No. 22851 from the list of available applications.

These documents are also available upon written request or by appointment in the Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone].

Written comments on this application should be submitted to the Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, at the address listed above. Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to [phone], or by email to [e-mail]. Please include the File No. 22851 in the subject line of the email comment.

Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a written request to the Chief, Permits and Conservation Division at the address listed above. The request should set forth the specific reasons why a hearing on this application would be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer Skidmore or Sara Young, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The subject permit is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), 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.), and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).

Sea Life Park Hawaii proposes to maintain up to four non-releasable adult Hawaiian monk seals for enhancement purposes. These seals would be animals removed from the wild under separate permits for stranding response and enhancement and will be animals that have been deemed non-releasable to the wild. A public conservation and education lecture will be conducted daily concerning the status of Hawaiian monk seals, and educational descriptive signs with current information are on display at the monk seal exhibit. In addition, these animals will be made available for scientific studies by researchers whose research protocols are approved by the Sea Life Park Hawaii Curator and staff veterinarian and authorized under separate permits. The requested duration of this permit is five years.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the application to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

Dated: August 19, 2019.

Julia Marie Harrison,

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