[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 180 (Wednesday, September 17, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 54409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23745]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 16
RIN 1018-AT49
Review of Information Concerning Bighead Carp (Hypophthalmichthys
nobilis)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of inquiry.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing available
economic and biological information on bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys
nobilis) for possible addition of that species to the list of injurious
wildlife under the Lacey Act. The importation and introduction of
bighead carp into the natural ecosystems of the United States may pose
a threat to agriculture, horticulture, forestry, the health and welfare
of human beings, and the welfare and survival of wildlife and wildlife
resources in the United States. Listing bighead carp as injurious would
prohibit their importation into, or transportation between, the
continental United States, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the
United States, with limited exceptions. This notice seeks comments from
the public to aid in determining if a proposed rule is warranted.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 17, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed or sent by fax to the Chief, Division
of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North
Fairfax Drive, Suite 322, Arlington, VA 22203; fax (703) 358-1800. You
may send comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to: BigheadCarp@fws.gov.
See the Public Comments Solicited section below for file format and
other information about electronic filing.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kari Duncan, Division of Environmental
Quality, Branch of Invasive Species at (703) 358-2464 or kari_
duncan@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 16, 2002, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service received a petition requesting that bighead carp,
black carp, and silver carp be considered for inclusion in the
injurious wildlife regulations pursuant to the Lacey Act. The
petitioners expressed concern that bighead carp could invade the Great
Lakes from the Mississippi River basin, where they are established,
through a manmade ship and sanitary canal. The petitioners, 25 members
of Congress representing the Great Lakes region, are concerned that
bighead carp, because they are voracious eaters, may impact food
supplies available to native fisheries in the Great Lakes, which are
already struggling against other invasive species. The petitioners also
noted that the Great Lakes fisheries are valued at approximately $4
billion, and resource managers have spent decades trying to restore and
protect them.
Bighead carp are native to southern and central China. They feed on
plankton and prefer large river habitats. They can grow to maximum
lengths of about 58 inches and reach sexual maturity at about 21.6
inches. In Asia, bighead carp typically spawn between April and June,
and they often migrate upstream to spawn.
Bighead carp were imported into the United States in 1972 by a fish
farmer who wanted to use them in combination with other phytoplankton-
eating fish to improve water quality and increase fish production in
culture ponds (Fuller, et al, 1999). They have been used in many parts
of the world as food fish. Bighead carp have been recorded from within
or along the borders of at least 18 States.
The Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42) and its implementing regulations in 50
CFR part 16 restrict the importation into or the transportation between
the continental United States, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the
United States of any species of wildlife, or eggs thereof, determined
to be injurious or potentially injurious to certain interests,
including those of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, the health and
welfare of human beings, and the welfare and survival of wildlife and
wildlife resources in the United States. However, injurious wildlife
may be imported by permit for zoological, educational, medical, or
scientific purposes in accordance with permit regulations at 50 CFR
16.22, or by Federal agencies without a permit solely for their own
use. If the process initiated by this notice results in the addition of
bighead carp to the list of injurious wildlife contained in 50 CFR part
16, their importation into the United States would be prohibited except
under the conditions, and for the purposes, described above.
This notice solicits economic, biological, or other information
concerning bighead carp. The information will be used to determine if
the species is a threat, or potential threat, to those interests of the
United States delineated above, and thus warrants addition to the list
of injurious wildlife in 50 CFR 16.13.
Public Comments Solicited
Please send comments to Chief, Division of Environmental Quality,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 322,
Arlington, VA 22030. Comments may be hand-delivered to the above
address or faxed to (703) 358-1800. If you submit comments by e-mail,
please submit comments as an ASCII file format and avoid the use of
special characters and encryption. Please include ``Attn: [RIN 1018-
AT49]'' and your name and return address in your e-mail message. Please
note that this email address will be closed at the termination of this
public comment period.
Our practice is to make comments, including names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold
their home address from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to
the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which
we would withhold from the rulemaking record a respondent's identity,
as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or
address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your
comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make
all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
Authority: This notice is issued under the authority of the
Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42).
Dated: September 10, 2003.
Craig Manson,
Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 03-23745 Filed 9-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P