Endangered Species; Permits

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Receipt of an application for a research and enhancement permit (1368).

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given of the following action regarding permits for takes of endangered and threatened species for the purposes of scientific research and/or enhancement under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): NMFS has received an application for a research/enhancement permit from Dr. John Hunter, of the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center of the (SFSC).

DATES:

Comments or requests for a public hearing on any of the new applications or modification requests must be received at the appropriate address or fax number no later than 5 p.m. eastern standard time on April 15, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments on the new application should be sent to the appropriate office as indicated below. Comments may also be sent via fax to the number indicated for the application. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or the Internet. The application and related documents are available for review in the indicated office, by appointment:

Permits, Conservation and Education Division, F/PR1, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (phone:301-713-2289, fax: 301-713-0376).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lillian Becker, Silver Spring, MD (phone: 301-713-2319, fax: 301-713-0376, e-mail: Lillian.Becker@noaa.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

Issuance of permits and permit modifications, as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA), is based on a finding that such permits/modifications: (1) are applied for in good faith; (2) would not operate to the disadvantage of the listed species which are the subject of the permits; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA. Scientific research and/or enhancement permits are issued under section 10 (a)(1)(A) of the ESA. Authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set forth in the permits. Permits and modifications are issued in accordance with and are subject to the ESA and NMFS regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222-226).

Those individuals requesting a hearing on an application listed in this notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on that application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such hearing is at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in the permit action summaries are those of the applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.

Species Covered in This Notice

The following species are covered in this notice:

Mollusks

Endangered White Abalone (Haliotis sorenseni)

Application 1368

The applicant proposes to breed and reintroduce white abalone in southern California. The applicant wants to collect up to 50 white abalone per year for five years in order to breed, grow out and reintroduce the progeny to the wild. Wild abalone will be collected using ROVs and divers. The animals will be transported to the laboratory and induced to spawn using H2O2 or the thermal shock method. The progeny will be grown to 15-100mm before introduction. Precautions will be taken to avoid disease and inbreeding.