Marine Mammals; File No. 22629

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648-XA471] AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to Mystic Aquarium (Responsible Party: Stephen M. Coan, Ph.D.) to import five beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas ) for scientific research. ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/​action/​permit-application-import-5-beluga-whales-scientific-research-file-no-22629-mystic-aquarium . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan ( amy.sloan@noaa.gov ), Courtney Smith ( courtney.smith@noaa.gov ), or Jennifer Skidmore ( jennifer.skidmore@noaa.gov ), (301) 427-8401. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 1, 2019, notice was published in the Federal Register ( 84 FR 52072 ) that a request for a permit to import five beluga whales for scientific research had been submitted by the above-named applicant. A public hearing on this action was held on November 18, 2019 ( 84 FR 58694 ). The requested permit has been issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended ( 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. ) and the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine mammals ( 50 CFR part 216 ). The permit authorizes the importation of five captive-born beluga whales from Marineland of Canada (Niagara F…