[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7761-7762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03027]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC348


Endangered Species; File No.17364-01

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS), Northeast Fishery Center, PO Box 75, Lamar, PA 16848 [Michael 
Millard: Responsible Party], has been issued a modification to 
scientific research Permit No. 17364 to take captive Atlantic sturgeon.

ADDRESSES: The modification and related documents are available for 
review 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.

[[Page 7762]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Malcolm Mohead or Rosa L. 
Gonz[aacute]lez, (301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 13, 2014, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (79 FR 47440) that a modification of Permit No. 
17364, issued March 14, 2013 (78 FR 17640), had been requested by the 
above-named organization. The requested modification has been granted 
under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(ESA; 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).
    The Permit Holder's original objectives were to refine propagation 
and culture techniques of captive Atlantic sturgeon held in refugia at 
the USFWS's Northeast Fisheries Center, providing a source of research 
animals for studies related to tagging, tracking, behavior, physiology, 
genetics, health, cryopreservation, and other methods to advance 
population conservation, recovery, or enhancement of the species in the 
wild.
    The Permit Holder is now authorized to conduct similar scientific 
research on captive Atlantic sturgeon at five captive holding 
facilities of Atlantic sturgeon located in the state of Maryland. Study 
objectives would include nutrition, physiology, propagation, 
contaminants, genetics, fish health, cryopreservation, aging, tagging 
techniques, and refugia. Additionally, studies would examine abiotic 
factors (e.g., pH, temperature, salinity dissolved oxygen, etc) 
influencing the distribution and abundance of Atlantic sturgeon in the 
wild. The modification would be valid until expiration of the permit on 
March 13, 2018.
    Issuance of this modification, as required by the ESA was based on 
a finding that such permit (1) was applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: February 9, 2016.
Perry F. Gayaldo,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-03027 Filed 2-12-16; 8:45 am]
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