[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 83 (Wednesday, April 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 23813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09034]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XA143]
Endangered Species; File No. 20314
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for a permit modification.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Virginia Fisheries Field Office, 11110 Kimages Road, Charles
City, VA 23030 (Responsible Party: Albert Spells), has requested a
modification to scientific research Permit No. 20314.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or
before May 29, 2020.
ADDRESSES: The modification request 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. 20314-04 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:
(301) 427-8401; fax: (301) 713-0376.
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 (301) 713-0376, or by
email to [email protected]. Please include the File No. 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: Malcolm Mohead or Erin Markin, (301)
427-8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification to Permit No.
20314, issued on March 29, 2017 (82 FR 16996), is requested under the
authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (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).
Permit No. 20314 authorizes the permit holder to conduct scientific
research on Atlantic sturgeon to identify the overall health of the
Chesapeake Bay discreet population segment, monitor reproductive
success, spawning adult and juvenile abundance in tributaries, and
evaluate movement patterns and habitat preferences in and between
tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Sampling gear includes anchored/
floating gillnets and trawl nets. After capture, fish are externally
tagged, tissue sampled, measured, and weighed prior to release. A
subset of fish are fin ray sampled and internally tagged with acoustic
devices. Early life stages of Atlantic sturgeon are lethally collected
to document occurrence of spawning in river systems. Up to two Atlantic
sturgeon juvenile and one adult/sub-adult life stages may
unintentionally die during research annually. Due to an increase in the
abundance of juvenile year classes of Atlantic sturgeon in the James
River and to accommodate improvements in population abundance and index
estimates, the permit holder is requesting an increase in the numbers
of this juvenile life stage that may be captured, marked, measured,
weighed, photoed, and released from 100 to 500 animals, annually. The
permit expires March 31, 2027.
Dated: April 23, 2020.
Julia Marie Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-09034 Filed 4-28-20; 8:45 am]
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