[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 221 (Friday, November 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54334-54335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24946]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XF801
Endangered Species; File Nos. 20590 and 20610
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of applications.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Nicole Phillips, Ph.D., The
University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences,
118 College Drive #5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406 (File No. 20590) and
David Portnoy, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX 78412
(File No. 20610), have applied in due form for permits to receive and
import sawfish and scalloped hammerhead shark samples for purposes of
scientific research.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or
before December 18, 2017.
ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the
``Features'' box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File
Nos. 20590 or 20610 from the list of available applications.
These documents are also available 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.
Written comments on this application should be submitted to the
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, at the address listed above.
Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or by
email to [email protected]. Please include the File No. in the
subject line of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a
written request to the Chief, Permits and Conservation Division at the
address listed above. The request should set forth the specific reasons
why a hearing on this application would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Skidmore (File Nos. 20590 or
20610), Malcolm Mohead (File No. 20590), or Erin Markin (File No.
20610), (301) 427-8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested 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).
File No. 20590: The applicant (Dr. Phillips) is requesting
authorization to import tissue samples from 5 species of listed sawfish
including the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), largetooth
sawfish (P. pristis), green sawfish (P. zijsron), dwarf sawfish (P.
clavata), and narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidate) to assess the
impact of population decline through genetic diversity. This study will
use tissue samples obtained opportunistically from saws with known
location data held in museums, educational and private collections to:
(1) Assess whether there has been a recent loss of genetic diversity in
sawfishes globally, and (2) evaluate the long-term survival outlook for
sawfishes. The applicant proposes to import tissue samples from up to a
total of 500 sawfish specimens, from all species, annually from at
least Mexico, Belize, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and
Australia to The University of Southern Mississippi for analysis. The
requested duration of the permit is five years.
File No. 20610: The applicant (Dr. Portnoy) is requesting
authorization to import scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) tissue in
the form of fin clips or small muscle biopsies from Belize (Central &
SW Atlantic DPS, up to 50 samples), Trinidad (Central & SW Atlantic
DPS, up to 50 samples), Mexico (Eastern Pacific DPS, up to 100 samples;
NW Atlantic & GOM DPS, up to 50
[[Page 54335]]
samples), Cuba (Central & SW Atlantic DPS, up to 50 samples), and
Sierra Leone (Eastern Atlantic DPS, up to 50 samples) for genetic
analysis at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi. These samples would
be used as part of a larger project to characterize the stock structure
of S. lewini populations within the western Atlantic, as well as
between the western Pacific and Atlantic, using next generation
sequencing techniques. Tissue samples would be from animals that have
been previously collected, or will be taken opportunistically as
scalloped hammerheads are encountered in fish markets. The requested
duration of the permit is five years.
Dated: November 14, 2017.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-24946 Filed 11-16-17; 8:45 am]
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