Marine Mammal Protection Act; Stock Assessment Reports for Two Stocks of West Indian Manatee, 47445-47446 [2022-16625]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 148 / Wednesday, August 3, 2022 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2022–0031;
FF04E00000–223–FXES11130400000]
Marine Mammal Protection Act; Stock
Assessment Reports for Two Stocks of
West Indian Manatee
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,
as amended, we, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), have
developed a revised draft marine
mammal stock assessment report (SAR)
for two West Indian manatee stocks, the
Florida manatee stock (Trichechus
manatus latirostris) and the Puerto Rico
stock of Antillean manatees (Trichechus
manatus manatus). We now make both
revised draft SARs available for public
review and comment.
DATES: Comments on the revised draft
SARs must be received by November 1,
2022.
ADDRESSES: Document availability: You
may view the revised draft SARs and
the lists of references at https://
www.regulations.gov under Docket No.
FWS–R4–ES–2022–0031, or these
documents may be requested as
described under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Comment submission: You may
submit comments on the revised draft
SARs by one of the following methods:
• U.S. mail: Public Comments
Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS–R4–
ES–2022–0031, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, Virginia
22041–3803.
• Electronic submission: Federal
eRulemaking Portal at: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments to
Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2022–0031.
We will post all comments at https://
www.regulations.gov. You may request
that we withhold personal identifying
information from public review;
however, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so. See Request for
Public Comments for more information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Florida manatee stock: Lourdes Mena,
USFWS Florida Ecological Services
Field Office, 7915 Baymeadows Way,
Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL, by
telephone (904–731–3134), or by email
(Lourdes_Mena@fws.gov).
Puerto Rico manatee stock: Edwin
Mun˜iz, USFWS Caribbean Ecological
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:39 Aug 02, 2022
Jkt 256001
Services Field Office, P.O. Box 491,
Boquero´n, PR, by telephone (786–244–
0081), or by email (Edwin_Muniz@
fws.gov).
Individuals in the United States who
are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or
have a speech disability may dial 711
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus
latirostris) and the Antillean manatee
(Trichechus manatus manatus) are both
subspecies of the West Indian manatee
(Trichechus manatus), whose range
includes the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of
Mexico coasts, the Caribbean Sea, and
northern South America. We announce
the availability for review and comment
of draft marine mammal stock
assessment reports (SARs) for two
stocks of the West Indian manatee: the
Florida manatee stock and the Puerto
Rico stock of Antillean manatees.
Background
Under the Marine Mammal Protection
Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and its
implementing regulations in the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR
part 18, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) regulates the taking;
import; and, under certain conditions,
possession; transportation; purchasing;
selling; and offering for sale, purchase,
or export, of marine mammals. One of
the MMPA’s goals is to ensure that
stocks of marine mammals occurring in
waters under U.S. jurisdiction do not
experience a level of human-caused
mortality and serious injury that is
likely to cause the stock to be reduced
below its optimum sustainable
population level (OSP). OSP is defined
under the MMPA as the number of
animals that will result in the maximum
productivity of the population or the
species, keeping in mind the carrying
capacity of the habitat and the health of
the ecosystem of which they form a
constituent element (16 U.S.C. 1362(9)).
To help accomplish the goal of
maintaining marine mammal stocks at
their OSPs, section 117 of the MMPA
requires the Service and the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to
prepare a SAR for each marine mammal
stock that occurs in waters under U.S.
jurisdiction. A SAR must be based on
the best scientific information available;
therefore, we prepare it in consultation
with regional scientific review groups
PO 00000
Frm 00062
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
47445
established under section 117(d) of the
MMPA. Each SAR must include:
1. A description of the stock and its
geographic range;
2. A minimum population estimate,
current and maximum net productivity
rate, and current population trend;
3. An estimate of the annual humancaused mortality and serious injury by
source and, for a strategic stock, other
factors that may be causing a decline or
impeding recovery;
4. A description of commercial fishery
interactions;
5. A categorization of the status of the
stock; and
6. An estimate of the potential
biological removal (PBR) level.
The MMPA defines the PBR as the
maximum number of animals, not
including natural mortalities, that may
be removed from a marine mammal
stock while allowing that stock to reach
or maintain its OSP (16 U.S.C.
1362(20)). The PBR is the product of the
minimum population estimate of the
stock (Nmin); one-half the maximum
theoretical or estimated net productivity
rate of the stock at a small population
size (Rmax); and a recovery factor (Fr) of
between 0.1 and 1.0, which is intended
to compensate for uncertainty and
unknown estimation errors. This can be
written as:
PBR = (Nmin)(1⁄2 of the Rmax)(Fr)
Section 117 of the MMPA also
requires the Service and NMFS to
review the SARs (a) at least annually for
stocks that are specified as strategic
stocks, (b) at least annually for stocks for
which significant new information is
available, and (c) at least once every 3
years for all other stocks. If our review
of the status of a stock indicates that it
has changed or may be more accurately
determined, then the SAR must be
revised accordingly.
A strategic stock is defined in the
MMPA as a marine mammal stock (a)
for which the level of direct humancaused mortality exceeds the PBR level;
(b) which, based on the best available
scientific information, is declining and
is likely to be listed as a threatened
species under the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), within the
foreseeable future; or (c) which is listed
as a threatened or endangered species
under the ESA, or is designated as
depleted under the MMPA (16 U.S.C.
1362(19)).
Stock Assessment Report History for
Two Stocks of West Indian Manatee
The SARs for the Florida and Puerto
Rico stocks of the West Indian manatee
were last revised in 2014. Because the
West Indian manatee is listed as a
E:\FR\FM\03AUN1.SGM
03AUN1
47446
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 148 / Wednesday, August 3, 2022 / Notices
threatened species under the ESA, both
stocks are considered strategic.
Therefore, the Service reviews the stock
assessment annually. The Service has
determined stock assessment revisions
are warranted for both stocks because
the status of the stocks can be more
accurately determined at this time.
Summary of Draft Stock Assessment
Report for Two Stocks of West Indian
Manatee
The following table summarizes some
of the information contained in the draft
SARs for the Florida and Puerto Rico
stocks of the West Indian manatee,
which includes the stocks’ Nmin, Rmax,
Fr, PBR, and annual estimated humancaused mortality and serious injury. The
status of both stocks is assessed as
strategic. After consideration of any
public comments we receive, the
Service will revise and finalize the
SARs, as appropriate. We will publish a
notice of availability and summary of
the final SARs, including responses to
submitted comments.
In March 2021, the Service declared
an Unusual Mortality Event (UME)
along the Atlantic coast of Florida for
the Florida stock. The event, which
began in December 2020 and is ongoing,
is associated with phytoplankton
blooms and seagrass loss in the Indian
River Lagoon. The effect of the UME on
population size and trend is not known
at this time but will be assessed in the
future based on new abundance
estimates that are being developed and
additional population modeling. We are
working closely with our conservation
partners to monitor and address the
UME. No UME has been declared for the
Puerto Rico stock.
SUMMARY—DRAFT REVISED STOCK ASSESSMENT REPORTS FOR THE FLORIDA AND PUERTO RICO STOCKS OF WEST
INDIAN MANATEE
West Indian manatee stock
NMIN
Florida manatees ........................................
Antillean manatees (Puerto Rico) ...............
8,237
319
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
If you wish to comment on the revised
draft SARs, you may submit your
comments by any of the methods
described in ADDRESSES. Please identify
which revised draft SAR you are
commenting on, make your comments
as specific as possible, confine them to
issues pertinent to the revised draft
SAR, and explain the reason for any
changes you recommend. Where
possible, your comments should
reference the specific section or
paragraph that you are addressing. The
Service will consider all comments that
are received before the close of the
comment period (see DATES).
Comments, including names and
street addresses of respondents, will
become part of the administrative record
for these revised draft SARs. Before
including your address, telephone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, be advised that your entire
comment, including your personal
identifying information, may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comments to
withhold from public review your
personal identifying information, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
References
A complete list of references used in
the revision of the draft SARs is
available on the internet at https://
www.regulations.gov under Docket No.
FWS–R4–ES–2022–0031 and upon
request from the Florida Ecological
18:39 Aug 02, 2022
Jkt 256001
FR
0.062
0.04
Annual estimated
human-caused
mortality
(5-year average)
PBR
0.5
0.4
Services Field Office (see FOR FURTHER
Request for Public Comments
VerDate Sep<11>2014
RMAX
127.67
2.55
144.8 (Years 2014–2018)
4 (Years 2015–2019) .......
Stock status
Strategic.
Strategic.
INFORMATION CONTACT).
receive during the public comment
period.
Authority
DATES:
The authority for this action is the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,
as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.)
ADDRESSES:
Stephen Guertin,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022–16625 Filed 8–2–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–ES–2022–N036;
FXES11130800000–223–FF08E00000]
Endangered and Threatened Species;
Receipt of Recovery Permit
Applications
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit
applications; request for comments.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, have received
applications for permits to conduct
activities intended to enhance the
propagation or survival of endangered
or threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act. We invite the
public and local, State, Tribal, and
Federal agencies to comment on these
applications. Before issuing any of the
requested permits, we will take into
consideration any information that we
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00063
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
We must receive your written
comments on or before September 2,
2022.
Document availability and
comment submission: Submit requests
for copies of the applications and
related documents and submit any
comments by one of the following
methods. All requests and comments
should specify the applicant name(s)
and application number(s) (e.g.,
XXXXXX or PER0001234).
• Email: permitsR8ES@fws.gov.
• U.S. Mail: Susie Tharratt, Regional
Recovery Permit Coordinator, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way,
Room W–2606, Sacramento, CA 95825.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susie Tharratt, via phone at 916–414–
6561, or via email at permitsR8ES@
fws.gov. Individuals in the United States
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing,
or have a speech disability may dial 711
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite
the public to comment on applications
for permits under section 10(a)(1)(A) of
the Endangered Species Act, as
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
The requested permits would allow the
applicants to conduct activities
E:\FR\FM\03AUN1.SGM
03AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47445-47446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-16625]
[[Page 47445]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2022-0031; FF04E00000-223-FXES11130400000]
Marine Mammal Protection Act; Stock Assessment Reports for Two
Stocks of West Indian Manatee
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,
as amended, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have
developed a revised draft marine mammal stock assessment report (SAR)
for two West Indian manatee stocks, the Florida manatee stock
(Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Puerto Rico stock of Antillean
manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus). We now make both revised draft
SARs available for public review and comment.
DATES: Comments on the revised draft SARs must be received by November
1, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Document availability: You may view the revised draft SARs
and the lists of references at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket
No. FWS-R4-ES-2022-0031, or these documents may be requested as
described under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Comment submission: You may submit comments on the revised draft
SARs by one of the following methods:
U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-R4-ES-2022-0031, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W),
5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, Virginia 22041-3803.
Electronic submission: Federal eRulemaking Portal at:
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting
comments to Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2022-0031. We will post all comments
at https://www.regulations.gov. You may request that we withhold
personal identifying information from public review; however, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so. See Request for Public
Comments for more information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Florida manatee stock: Lourdes Mena,
USFWS Florida Ecological Services Field Office, 7915 Baymeadows Way,
Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL, by telephone (904-731-3134), or by email
([email protected]).
Puerto Rico manatee stock: Edwin Mu[ntilde]iz, USFWS Caribbean
Ecological Services Field Office, P.O. Box 491, Boquer[oacute]n, PR, by
telephone (786-244-0081), or by email ([email protected]).
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus
latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) are
both subspecies of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), whose
range includes the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, the
Caribbean Sea, and northern South America. We announce the availability
for review and comment of draft marine mammal stock assessment reports
(SARs) for two stocks of the West Indian manatee: the Florida manatee
stock and the Puerto Rico stock of Antillean manatees.
Background
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA;
16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and its implementing regulations in the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 18, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) regulates the taking; import; and, under certain
conditions, possession; transportation; purchasing; selling; and
offering for sale, purchase, or export, of marine mammals. One of the
MMPA's goals is to ensure that stocks of marine mammals occurring in
waters under U.S. jurisdiction do not experience a level of human-
caused mortality and serious injury that is likely to cause the stock
to be reduced below its optimum sustainable population level (OSP). OSP
is defined under the MMPA as the number of animals that will result in
the maximum productivity of the population or the species, keeping in
mind the carrying capacity of the habitat and the health of the
ecosystem of which they form a constituent element (16 U.S.C. 1362(9)).
To help accomplish the goal of maintaining marine mammal stocks at
their OSPs, section 117 of the MMPA requires the Service and the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to prepare a SAR for each
marine mammal stock that occurs in waters under U.S. jurisdiction. A
SAR must be based on the best scientific information available;
therefore, we prepare it in consultation with regional scientific
review groups established under section 117(d) of the MMPA. Each SAR
must include:
1. A description of the stock and its geographic range;
2. A minimum population estimate, current and maximum net
productivity rate, and current population trend;
3. An estimate of the annual human-caused mortality and serious
injury by source and, for a strategic stock, other factors that may be
causing a decline or impeding recovery;
4. A description of commercial fishery interactions;
5. A categorization of the status of the stock; and
6. An estimate of the potential biological removal (PBR) level.
The MMPA defines the PBR as the maximum number of animals, not
including natural mortalities, that may be removed from a marine mammal
stock while allowing that stock to reach or maintain its OSP (16 U.S.C.
1362(20)). The PBR is the product of the minimum population estimate of
the stock (Nmin); one-half the maximum theoretical or
estimated net productivity rate of the stock at a small population size
(Rmax); and a recovery factor (Fr) of between 0.1
and 1.0, which is intended to compensate for uncertainty and unknown
estimation errors. This can be written as:
PBR = (Nmin)(\1/2\ of the Rmax)(Fr)
Section 117 of the MMPA also requires the Service and NMFS to
review the SARs (a) at least annually for stocks that are specified as
strategic stocks, (b) at least annually for stocks for which
significant new information is available, and (c) at least once every 3
years for all other stocks. If our review of the status of a stock
indicates that it has changed or may be more accurately determined,
then the SAR must be revised accordingly.
A strategic stock is defined in the MMPA as a marine mammal stock
(a) for which the level of direct human-caused mortality exceeds the
PBR level; (b) which, based on the best available scientific
information, is declining and is likely to be listed as a threatened
species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), within the foreseeable future; or (c) which is
listed as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA, or is
designated as depleted under the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1362(19)).
Stock Assessment Report History for Two Stocks of West Indian Manatee
The SARs for the Florida and Puerto Rico stocks of the West Indian
manatee were last revised in 2014. Because the West Indian manatee is
listed as a
[[Page 47446]]
threatened species under the ESA, both stocks are considered strategic.
Therefore, the Service reviews the stock assessment annually. The
Service has determined stock assessment revisions are warranted for
both stocks because the status of the stocks can be more accurately
determined at this time.
Summary of Draft Stock Assessment Report for Two Stocks of West Indian
Manatee
The following table summarizes some of the information contained in
the draft SARs for the Florida and Puerto Rico stocks of the West
Indian manatee, which includes the stocks' Nmin,
Rmax, Fr, PBR, and annual estimated human-caused
mortality and serious injury. The status of both stocks is assessed as
strategic. After consideration of any public comments we receive, the
Service will revise and finalize the SARs, as appropriate. We will
publish a notice of availability and summary of the final SARs,
including responses to submitted comments.
In March 2021, the Service declared an Unusual Mortality Event
(UME) along the Atlantic coast of Florida for the Florida stock. The
event, which began in December 2020 and is ongoing, is associated with
phytoplankton blooms and seagrass loss in the Indian River Lagoon. The
effect of the UME on population size and trend is not known at this
time but will be assessed in the future based on new abundance
estimates that are being developed and additional population modeling.
We are working closely with our conservation partners to monitor and
address the UME. No UME has been declared for the Puerto Rico stock.
Summary--Draft Revised Stock Assessment Reports for the Florida and Puerto Rico Stocks of West Indian Manatee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual estimated human-caused
West Indian manatee stock NMIN RMAX FR PBR mortality (5-year average) Stock status
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida manatees.................... 8,237 0.062 0.5 127.67 144.8 (Years 2014-2018)................. Strategic.
Antillean manatees (Puerto Rico).... 319 0.04 0.4 2.55 4 (Years 2015-2019)..................... Strategic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Request for Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the revised draft SARs, you may submit
your comments by any of the methods described in ADDRESSES. Please
identify which revised draft SAR you are commenting on, make your
comments as specific as possible, confine them to issues pertinent to
the revised draft SAR, and explain the reason for any changes you
recommend. Where possible, your comments should reference the specific
section or paragraph that you are addressing. The Service will consider
all comments that are received before the close of the comment period
(see DATES).
Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will
become part of the administrative record for these revised draft SARs.
Before including your address, telephone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that
your entire comment, including your personal identifying information,
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in
your comments to withhold from public review your personal identifying
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
References
A complete list of references used in the revision of the draft
SARs is available on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov under
Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2022-0031 and upon request from the Florida
Ecological Services Field Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Marine Mammal Protection Act
of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.)
Stephen Guertin,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-16625 Filed 8-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
