Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish, 14923-14924 [2011-6441]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 53 / Friday, March 18, 2011 / Notices
outside of the limited access Atlantic
sea scallop DAS regulations at 50 CFR
648.53(b) and to temporarily retain fish
that would otherwise be restricted by
commercial fishing regulations. Any
fishing activity conducted outside the
scope of the exempted fishing activity
would be prohibited.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 15, 2011.
Margo Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–6443 Filed 3–17–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA296
Endangered and Threatened Species;
Take of Anadromous Fish
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Applications for four new
scientific research permits.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
NMFS has received four scientific
research permit application requests
relating to Pacific salmonids. The
proposed research is intended to
increase knowledge of species listed
under the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) and help guide management and
conservation efforts. The applications
may be viewed online at: https://
apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/
preview_open_for_comment.cfm
SUMMARY:
Comments or requests for a
public hearing on the applications must
be received at the appropriate address or
fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later
than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on
April 18, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
applications should be sent to the
Protected Resources Division, NMFS,
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100,
Portland, OR 97232–1274. Comments
may also be sent via fax to 503–230–
5441 or by e-mail to
nmfs.nwr.apps@noaa.gov.
Emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
DATES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Garth Griffin, Portland, OR (ph.: 503–
231–2005, Fax: 503–230–5441, e-mail:
Garth.Griffin@noaa.gov). Permit
application instructions are available
from the address above, or online at
apps.nmfs.noaa.gov https://
www.nwr.noaa.gov./.
18:30 Mar 17, 2011
Jkt 223001
Species Covered in This Notice
The following listed species are
covered in this notice:
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha): threatened lower
Columbia River (LCR), Snake River fallrun Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha),
Puget Sound Chinook salmon (O.
tshawytscha), California Coast Chinook
salmon (O. tshawytscha).
Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened
Columbia River (CR).
Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened SR.
Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened
LCR, threatened Oregon Coast (OC).
Authority
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
VerDate Mar<15>2010
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scientific research permits are issued
in accordance with section 10(a)(1)(A)
of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq) and
regulations governing listed fish and
wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222–226).
NMFS issues permits based on findings
that such permits: (1) Are applied for in
good faith; (2) if granted and exercised,
would not operate to the disadvantage
of the listed species that are the subject
of the permit; and (3) are consistent
with the purposes and policy of section
2 of the ESA. The authority to take
listed species is subject to conditions set
forth in the permits.
Anyone 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). Such
hearings are held at the discretion of the
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,
NMFS.
Applications Received
Permit 16333
NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries
Science Center (NWFSC) is seeking a 5year permit to conduct yearly survey
trawling operations off the West Coast of
the U.S. The researchers would take
individuals from all the species covered
in this notice except for OC coho. The
purpose of the research is to provide
fisheries-independent indices of stock
abundance to support stock assessment
models for commercially and
recreationally harvested groundfish
species. The survey would collect data
on 90+ fish species in the ocean to
fulfill the mandates of the MagnusonStevens Sustainable Fisheries Act
(MSA). The survey would run from May
through October every year and cover
the area from the US-Canada border at
Cape Flattery, Washington to the USMexico border, at depths ranging from
55 meters to 1,280 meters. The
objectives of the survey are to: (1)
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
14923
Quantify the distribution and relative
abundance of commercially valuable
groundfish species, with an emphasis
on rockfish species of the genus
Sebastes; (2) obtain biological data
(length, weight, gender, and maturity)
from various species of interest; (3)
collect age structures for species
covered by MSA fisheries management
plans; (4) record net mensuration and
trawl performance data; and (5) collect
oceanographic data (i.e., surface and
bottom water temperature, salinity, near
bottom dissolved oxygen concentration,
chlorophyll fluorescence, and irradiance
near bottom).
The research would benefit listed
species by increasing our understanding
of the connections between various
oceanographic conditions and fish
survival in the marine environment.
This greater understanding, in turn, will
be used to inform future decisions
regarding listed species management
and recovery. The researchers do not
intend to kill any listed fish, but a few
may die as an inadvertent result of the
proposed activities.
Permit 16335
The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year
permit to conduct biennial acoustic
surveys of Pacific hake along the West
Coast of the U.S. during odd-numbered
years. The researchers would take
individuals from all species covered in
this notice except for SR steelhead. The
age-specific estimates of total
population abundance derived from the
surveys are a key data source for the
joint U.S.-Canada Pacific hake stock
assessments and, ultimately, are critical
to informing decisions about U.S.,
Tribal, and international harvest levels.
This integrated acoustic and trawl
survey is used to assess the distribution,
biology, and status and trends in
abundance of Pacific hake. The survey
would be conducted from June to
September; it would target aggregations
of Pacific hake along the continental
shelf and break. The survey would
extend from Monterey, California to
Dixon Entrance, Alaska, in depths from
about 50 meters to 1,500 meters. The
NWFSC is seeking authorization for the
U.S. portion of the survey. The goal of
the survey is to obtain representative
catches of acoustically-detected
organisms.
The research would benefit listed
species by helping make the West Coast
hake fishery more specific to the target
species and thereby reducing bycatch of
other species. The researchers do not
intend to kill any listed fish, but a few
may die as an inadvertent result of the
proposed activities.
E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM
18MRN1
14924
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 53 / Friday, March 18, 2011 / Notices
Permit 16337
The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year
permit to conduct Pacific hake Acoustic
Inter-vessel Calibration (IVC) research
and gear trial cruises along the West
Coast of the U.S. to make hake stock
assessment and improve hake biomass
estimates. The researchers would take
individuals from all species covered in
this notice except for OC coho and SR
steelhead. The goals of the IVC research
are to: (1) Compare acoustic estimates
for hake between two vessels; (2)
research acoustic differentiation
between hake and Humboldt squid
(Dosidicus gigas); and (3) confirm that
groundtruthing tows (mid-water and
bottom trawls) are adequately
characterizing schools of hake. The IVC
research would take place in the ocean
from a point off the Strait of Juan de
Fuca, Washington down to the central
Oregon coast. If hake and Humboldt
squid are not present at the time of the
study, the cruise may extend to the
south until they are found or until the
vessels reach a point 100 nautical miles
south of Monterey Bay, California. The
IVC research would be conducted in
June and July. The goal of the gear trial
cruises is to test new equipment and
methods to ensure that the best
available science is used when
conducting the biennial hake survey.
The gear trial cruises would take place
from August through September and
would extend from Monterey, California
to Dixon Entrance, Alaska, in depths
from about 50 meters to 1,500 meters.
The proposed research would benefit
listed species by generating information
that, ultimately, will be used to help
reduce the number of listed fish being
accidentally caught in the hake fishery.
The researchers do not intend to kill any
listed fish, but a few may die as an
inadvertent result of the proposed
activities.
Emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Permit 16338
The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year
permit to test the efficacy of an open
escape window bycatch reduction
device to reduce Chinook salmon and
rockfish bycatch in the Pacific hake
fishery. The proposed activities would
be conducted from May to September
off the Central Oregon coast and,
although it is unlikely, sampling may
also occur off the coasts of Washington
and northern California. All research
tows would take place over the
continental shelf and slope in depths of
less than 1,000 meters; all captured fish
would be identified, and some would be
retained for the scientific analyses
necessary for the research.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:30 Mar 17, 2011
Jkt 223001
The research would benefit listed
species by helping develop fishing
methods and equipment that allow
large-scale fisheries (like the hake
fishery) to catch fewer threatened and
endangered fish. The researchers do not
intend to kill any listed fish, but a few
may die as an inadvertent result of the
proposed activities.
This notice is provided pursuant to
section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS will
evaluate the applications, associated
documents, and comments submitted to
determine whether the applications
meet the requirements of section 10(a)
of the ESA and Federal regulations. The
final permit decisions will not be made
until after the end of the 30-day
comment period. NMFS will publish
notice of its final action in the Federal
Register.
Dated: March 15, 2011.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office
of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–6441 Filed 3–17–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XA244
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to
Specified Activities; Russian River
Estuary Management Activities
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental
harassment authorization; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS has received an
application from the Sonoma County
Water Agency (SCWA) for an Incidental
Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take
marine mammals incidental to Russian
River estuary management activities.
Pursuant to the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is
requesting comments on its proposal to
issue an IHA to SCWA to take, by Level
B Harassment only, several species of
marine mammals during the specified
activity.
SUMMARY:
Comments and information must
be received no later than April 18, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the
application should be addressed to
Michael Payne, Chief, Permits,
Conservation and Education Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910. The mailbox address for
providing e-mail comments is
ITP.Laws@noaa.gov. NMFS is not
responsible for e-mail comments sent to
addresses other than the one provided
here. Comments sent via e-mail,
including all attachments, must not
exceed a 10-megabyte file size.
Instructions: All comments received
are a part of the public record and will
generally be posted to https://
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/
incidental.htm without change. All
Personal Identifying Information (e.g.,
name, address) voluntarily submitted by
the commenter may be publicly
accessible. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
A copy of the application containing
a list of the references used in this
document may be obtained by writing to
the address specified above, telephoning
the contact listed below (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), or
visiting the Internet at: https://
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/
incidental.htm. Supplemental
documents provided by SCWA may also
be found at the same address: Pinniped
Monitoring Plan; Report of Activities
and Monitoring Results—April 1 to
December 31, 2010; and Russian River
Estuary Outlet Channel Adaptive
Management Plan. NMFS’
Environmental Assessment (2010) and
associated Finding of No Significant
Impact, prepared pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act, are
available at the same site. Documents
cited in this notice, including NMFS’
Biological Opinion (2008) on the effects
of Russian River management activities
on salmonids, may also be viewed, by
appointment, during regular business
hours, at the aforementioned address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ben
Laws, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, (301) 713–2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the
MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct
the Secretary of Commerce to allow,
upon request, the incidental, but not
intentional, taking of small numbers of
marine mammals by U.S. citizens who
engage in a specified activity (other than
commercial fishing) within a specified
geographical region if certain findings
are made and either regulations are
issued or, if the taking is limited to
harassment, a notice of a proposed
authorization is published in the
Federal Register to provide public
E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM
18MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 53 (Friday, March 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14923-14924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6441]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA296
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Applications for four new scientific research permits.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received four scientific
research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmonids. The
proposed research is intended to increase knowledge of species listed
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and help guide management and
conservation efforts. The applications may be viewed online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm
DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the applications
must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on April 18,
2011.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the applications should be sent to the
Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100,
Portland, OR 97232-1274. Comments may also be sent via fax to 503-230-
5441 or by e-mail to nmfs.nwr.apps@noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin, Portland, OR (ph.: 503-
231-2005, Fax: 503-230-5441, e-mail: Garth.Griffin@noaa.gov). Permit
application instructions are available from the address above, or
online at apps.nmfs.noaa.gov https://www.nwr.noaa.gov./.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Species Covered in This Notice
The following listed species are covered in this notice:
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened lower
Columbia River (LCR), Snake River fall-run Chinook salmon (O.
tshawytscha), Puget Sound Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), California
Coast Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha).
Chum salmon (O. keta): Threatened Columbia River (CR).
Steelhead (O. mykiss): Threatened SR.
Coho salmon (O. kisutch): Threatened LCR, threatened Oregon Coast
(OC).
Authority
Scientific research permits are issued in accordance with section
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq) and regulations
governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222-226). NMFS
issues permits based on findings that such permits: (1) Are applied for
in good faith; (2) if granted and exercised, would not operate to the
disadvantage of the listed species that are the subject of the permit;
and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policy of section 2 of the
ESA. The authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set
forth in the permits.
Anyone 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). Such hearings are held at the
discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS.
Applications Received
Permit 16333
NOAA Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) is
seeking a 5-year permit to conduct yearly survey trawling operations
off the West Coast of the U.S. The researchers would take individuals
from all the species covered in this notice except for OC coho. The
purpose of the research is to provide fisheries-independent indices of
stock abundance to support stock assessment models for commercially and
recreationally harvested groundfish species. The survey would collect
data on 90+ fish species in the ocean to fulfill the mandates of the
Magnuson-Stevens Sustainable Fisheries Act (MSA). The survey would run
from May through October every year and cover the area from the US-
Canada border at Cape Flattery, Washington to the US-Mexico border, at
depths ranging from 55 meters to 1,280 meters. The objectives of the
survey are to: (1) Quantify the distribution and relative abundance of
commercially valuable groundfish species, with an emphasis on rockfish
species of the genus Sebastes; (2) obtain biological data (length,
weight, gender, and maturity) from various species of interest; (3)
collect age structures for species covered by MSA fisheries management
plans; (4) record net mensuration and trawl performance data; and (5)
collect oceanographic data (i.e., surface and bottom water temperature,
salinity, near bottom dissolved oxygen concentration, chlorophyll
fluorescence, and irradiance near bottom).
The research would benefit listed species by increasing our
understanding of the connections between various oceanographic
conditions and fish survival in the marine environment. This greater
understanding, in turn, will be used to inform future decisions
regarding listed species management and recovery. The researchers do
not intend to kill any listed fish, but a few may die as an inadvertent
result of the proposed activities.
Permit 16335
The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year permit to conduct biennial acoustic
surveys of Pacific hake along the West Coast of the U.S. during odd-
numbered years. The researchers would take individuals from all species
covered in this notice except for SR steelhead. The age-specific
estimates of total population abundance derived from the surveys are a
key data source for the joint U.S.-Canada Pacific hake stock
assessments and, ultimately, are critical to informing decisions about
U.S., Tribal, and international harvest levels. This integrated
acoustic and trawl survey is used to assess the distribution, biology,
and status and trends in abundance of Pacific hake. The survey would be
conducted from June to September; it would target aggregations of
Pacific hake along the continental shelf and break. The survey would
extend from Monterey, California to Dixon Entrance, Alaska, in depths
from about 50 meters to 1,500 meters. The NWFSC is seeking
authorization for the U.S. portion of the survey. The goal of the
survey is to obtain representative catches of acoustically-detected
organisms.
The research would benefit listed species by helping make the West
Coast hake fishery more specific to the target species and thereby
reducing bycatch of other species. The researchers do not intend to
kill any listed fish, but a few may die as an inadvertent result of the
proposed activities.
[[Page 14924]]
Permit 16337
The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year permit to conduct Pacific hake
Acoustic Inter-vessel Calibration (IVC) research and gear trial cruises
along the West Coast of the U.S. to make hake stock assessment and
improve hake biomass estimates. The researchers would take individuals
from all species covered in this notice except for OC coho and SR
steelhead. The goals of the IVC research are to: (1) Compare acoustic
estimates for hake between two vessels; (2) research acoustic
differentiation between hake and Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas); and
(3) confirm that groundtruthing tows (mid-water and bottom trawls) are
adequately characterizing schools of hake. The IVC research would take
place in the ocean from a point off the Strait of Juan de Fuca,
Washington down to the central Oregon coast. If hake and Humboldt squid
are not present at the time of the study, the cruise may extend to the
south until they are found or until the vessels reach a point 100
nautical miles south of Monterey Bay, California. The IVC research
would be conducted in June and July. The goal of the gear trial cruises
is to test new equipment and methods to ensure that the best available
science is used when conducting the biennial hake survey. The gear
trial cruises would take place from August through September and would
extend from Monterey, California to Dixon Entrance, Alaska, in depths
from about 50 meters to 1,500 meters.
The proposed research would benefit listed species by generating
information that, ultimately, will be used to help reduce the number of
listed fish being accidentally caught in the hake fishery. The
researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish, but a few may die as
an inadvertent result of the proposed activities.
Permit 16338
The NWFSC is seeking a 5-year permit to test the efficacy of an
open escape window bycatch reduction device to reduce Chinook salmon
and rockfish bycatch in the Pacific hake fishery. The proposed
activities would be conducted from May to September off the Central
Oregon coast and, although it is unlikely, sampling may also occur off
the coasts of Washington and northern California. All research tows
would take place over the continental shelf and slope in depths of less
than 1,000 meters; all captured fish would be identified, and some
would be retained for the scientific analyses necessary for the
research.
The research would benefit listed species by helping develop
fishing methods and equipment that allow large-scale fisheries (like
the hake fishery) to catch fewer threatened and endangered fish. The
researchers do not intend to kill any listed fish, but a few may die as
an inadvertent result of the proposed activities.
This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS
will evaluate the applications, associated documents, and comments
submitted to determine whether the applications meet the requirements
of section 10(a) of the ESA and Federal regulations. The final permit
decisions will not be made until after the end of the 30-day comment
period. NMFS will publish notice of its final action in the Federal
Register.
Dated: March 15, 2011.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-6441 Filed 3-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P