[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 134 (Monday, July 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37560-37563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18326]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 061097B]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Revision of Candidate Species
List Under the Endangered Species Act
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of modification of list of candidate species.
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SUMMARY: NMFS identifies marine and anadromous species as candidates
for possible addition to the List of Endangered and Threatened Species.
NMFS is soliciting information concerning the status of these species
and nominations of additional species that appear to warrant listing
consideration. This notice is not a proposal for listing, and the
involved species do not receive substantive or procedural protection
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The candidate species
list serves to notify the public that NMFS has concerns regarding these
species/vertebrate populations that may warrant listing in the future,
and it facilitates voluntary conservation efforts. NMFS encourages
Federal agencies and other appropriate parties to take these species
into account in project planning.
DATES: Comments will be accepted until further notice (see ADDRESSES).
ADDRESSES: Comments and reliable documentation for these and any
recommended additions or deletions to the candidate species list should
be sent to the Chief, Endangered Species Division, NMFS, Office of
Protected
[[Page 37561]]
Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, F/PR3, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Chu or Terri Jordan at (301)
713-1401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ESA requires determinations of whether
species of wildlife and plants are endangered or threatened, based on
the best available scientific and commercial data. ``Species'' includes
any species or subspecies of fish, wildlife, or plant, and any distinct
population segment of any vertebrate species that interbreeds when
mature (vertebrate population). NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) share responsibilities under the ESA. With some
exceptions, NMFS is responsible for species that reside all or the
major portion of their lifetime in marine or estuarine waters. The
regulations implementing Section 4 of the ESA (49 FR 38900, October 1,
1984) define ``candidate'' as ``any species being considered by the
Secretary for listing as an endangered or a threatened species, but not
yet the subject of a proposed rule.'' As resources permit, NMFS
conducts a review of the status of each candidate species to determine
if it warrants listing as endangered or threatened under the ESA.
On February 28, 1996, the FWS published a revised candidate notice
of review in the Federal Register (61 FR 7596) that candidates for
listing under the ESA. The FWS noted its intention to discontinue
maintaining a list of species that were previously identified as
``Category-2 candidates.'' Category-2 candidates were species for which
NMFS or the FWS had information indicating that protection under the
ESA may be warranted but for which they lacked sufficient information
on status and threats. The FWS' new definition of candidate species is
``those species for which the FWS has on file sufficient information to
support issuance of a proposed listing rule.''
NMFS intends to continue using the original definition of candidate
species as defined in the joint FWS/NMFS section 4 regulations.
Candidate species include unlisted species for which biological status
reviews have been initiated or have been completed. NMFS believes it is
important to highlight species for which listing may be warranted so
that Federal and state agencies, Native American tribes, and the
private sector are aware of which species could benefit from proactive
conservation efforts.
In addition, NMFS has developed more specific criteria for
determining which species/vertebrate populations should be included on
the NMFS candidate species list. These criteria include the requirement
for reliable information and the consideration of: (1) The biological
status of a species or vertebrate population; and (2) the degree of
threat to its continued existence in the wild.
Biological Status
Biological status is determined by both demography and genetic
composition of the species/vertebrate population. If there is evidence
of demographic or genetic concerns that would indicate that listing may
be warranted, the species/vertebrate population should be added to the
candidate species list.
(a) Demographic concerns would occur when there is a significant
decline in abundance or range from historical levels that would
indicate that listing may be warranted. This could result from
overharvest, habitat degradation, disease outbreaks, predation, natural
climatic conditions, and hatchery practices that lead to competition
with natural stocks or depletion of natural fish for use as hatchery
broodstock.
(b) Genetic concerns that would indicate that listing may be
warranted include outbreeding and inbreeding depression resulting from
poor hatchery practices or substantially reduced numbers of natural
individuals.
Degree of Threat
If a species/vertebrate population is rare or in poor biological
condition AND faces a high degree of threat (i.e., the threat is
relatively severe, and/or imminent), then it should be added to the
candidate species list.
The previous list was published on June 11, 1991, at 56 FR 26797.
NMFS is removing 37 species from this list. The status of four species
has been changed. While NMFS determined that the bottlenose dolphin is
depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act on April 6, 1993, it
also determined that it did not warrant listing under the ESA (58 FR
17789). The Saimaa seal was listed as endangered on July 28, 1993 (58
FR 40538). FWS listed the Delta smelt and the tidewater goby as
threatened on March 5, 1993 (58 FR 12854) and February 4, 1994 (59 FR
5494), respectively. Six marine mammals, the flatback turtle, and the
giant and southern giant clams are being deleted from the list because
they are foreign species for which significant proactive conservation
efforts are unlikely to be stimulated due to inclusion in the candidate
species list. Because there are insufficient data to determine
population trends for the northern bottlenose whale and the starlet sea
anemone, they are removed from the list. Ten fishes are removed from
the list because the information available to NMFS does not meet the
more stringent standard of documentation now required for candidate
status. Also, ten coral species are being deleted because the
information available indicates declines in certain populations, but
not throughout the species' ranges. Corals are invertebrates, and the
ESA only allows invertebrates to be listed at the species level, and
not at the population level.
With this notice, 15 new species for which reliable information is
available to NMFS meeting the criteria stated above, are added to the
list of candidate species.
Among these 15 species are six Pacific salmonids. On September 12,
1994, NMFS announced that comprehensive status reviews would be
conducted for all populations of Pacific salmon and anadromous trout in
California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho (59 FR 46808). This decision
effectively classified all seven salmonid species under NMFS
jurisdiction--coho, chinook, pink, chum, and sockeye salmon, steelhead
and sea-run cutthroat trout--as candidate species. These status reviews
are at various stages of completion and have resulted in proposed or
final listing determinations for several distinct population segments
of Pacific salmon. The status review of pink salmon has been completed
and it has been determined that listing is not warranted. During the
next 12-18 months, NMFS expects to conclude all of these status reviews
and make population-specific determinations regarding listing status
under the ESA.
NMFS intends to consider the results of the status reviews and all
data received in response to this notice to make appropriate amendments
to the accompanying tables.
It is important to note that this list is limited by the
information available. Therefore, it does not encompass all declining
marine and anadromous species that may warrant listing in the future.
Moreover, inclusion of a species on the candidate list does not create
a higher listing priority for that species. As appropriate, NMFS may
initiate a status review for any species or vertebrate population of
concern, regardless of whether it is a candidate species, and the
public may petition to list any species or vertebrate population.
Inclusion in the candidate species list is intended to stimulate
voluntary conservation efforts, which, if effective,
[[Page 37562]]
can result in a lower likelihood of an ESA listing.
In Table 1, Revised list of candidate species, the common name
appears as the first entry followed by the scientific name, the family
name, and the area of concern. This area denotes the general geographic
boundaries of the species or the vertebrate population for which
concern has been expressed. Ongoing or future Biological status reviews
may narrow the geographic area or population of concern in the future.
Table 2 lists species and vertebrate populations which have been
proposed for listing under the ESA. Two of these were on the previous
1991 candidate species list. As final determinations are made, these
species/vertebrate populations may be determined to not warrant
listing, to warrant listing, or be designated as candidate species.
Dated: July 8, 1997.
Patricia A. Montanio,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
Table 1.--Revised List of Candidate Species
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Common name Scientific name Family Area of concern \6\
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Marine Mammals
Beluga Whale \1\.................. Delphinapterus leucas..... Monodontidae......... AK (Cook Inlet
population).
Fishes
Dusky Shark *..................... Carcharhinus obscurus..... Carcharhinidae....... Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico;
Pacific.
Sand Tiger Shark *................ Odontaspis taurus......... Odontaspididae....... Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico
Night Shark *..................... Carcharinus signatus...... Carcharhinidae....... Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico
Atlantic Sturgeon................. Acipenser oxyrhynchus Acipenseridae........ Atlantic, anadromous.
oxyrhynchus.
Alabama Shad *.................... Alosa alabamae............ Clupeidae............ AL, FL, anadromous.
Searun Cutthroat Trout *,\4\...... Oncorhynchus clarki clarki Salmonidae........... Pacific, WA to CA,
anadromous.\4\
Chum Salmon *,4................... Oncorhynchus keta......... Salmonidae........... Pacific, WA, OR,
anadromous.\4\
Coho Salmon*...................... Oncorhynchus kisutch...... Salmonidae........... Pacific, anadromous.
Puget Sound/Strait of
Georgia, Southwest WA,
Lower Columbia River,
and OR Coast ESUs \2\
Steelhead Trout*,5................ Oncorhynchus mykiss....... Salmonidae........... Pacific, anadromous.
Middle Columbia River
ESU
Sockeye Salmon*,4................. Oncorhynchus nerka........ Salmonidae........... Pacific, WA, anadromous
and freshwater.\4\
Chinook Salmon*,4................. Oncorhynchus tshawytscha.. Salmonidae........... Pacific, WA to CA,
anadromous.\4\
Atlantic Salmon*,5................ Salmo salar............... Salmonidae........... Atlantic, anadromous.
Kennebec River, Tunk
Stream, Penobscot River,
and St. Croix River
DPSs.
Mangrove Rivulus*................. Rivulus marmoratus........ Aplocheilidae........ FL, estuarine.
Saltmarsh Topminnow............... Fundulus jenkinsi......... Cyprinodontidae...... TX, LA, MS, AL, FL.
Key Silverside.................... Menidia conchorum......... Atherinidae.......... Florida Keys
Opposum Pipefish.................. Microphis brachyurus Syngnathidae......... Florida, Indian River
lineatus. Lagoon
Speckled Hind*.................... Epinephelus drummondhayi.. Serranidae........... NC to Gulf of Mexico.
Jewfish \1\....................... Epinephelus itijara....... Serranidae........... NC southward to Gulf of
Mexico.
Warsaw Grouper*................... Epinephelus nigritus...... Serranidae........... MA southward to Gulf of
Mexico.
Nassau Grouper \1\................ Epinephelus striatus...... Serranidae........... NC southward to Gulf of
Mexico.
Mollusks
White Abalone*.................... Haliotes sorenseni........ Haliotidae........... CA, Baja CA.
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* addition to list.
\1\ research initiated as a result of being on 1991 candidate species list.
\2\ ESU=evolutionarily significant unit. Pacific salmon populations can only be listed under the ESA if they are
``evolutionarily significant'', per NMFS policy (56 FR 58612).
\3\ DPS=distinct population segment.
\4\ under ESA status review; specific ESUs meriting candidate status will be identified in the future following
status review.
\5\ for this species, certain ESUs/DPSs are candidate species, while others are proposed for listing under the
ESA (see Table 2).
\6\ Defines the general geographic area or populations of concern for the species.
Table 2.--Species That Have Been Proposed for Listing Under the ESA
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Common name Scientific name Family Area under consideration
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Marine Mammals
Harbor Porpoise................... Phocoena phocoena......... Delphinidae.......... Gulf of Maine.
Fishes
Steelhead Trout*,1................ Oncorhynchus mykiss....... Salmonidae........... Pacific, anadromous.
Lower Columbia River, OR
Coast, Klamath Mountains
Province, Northern CA,
Central CA Coast, South/
Central CA Coast,
Southern CA, Central
Valley, Upper Columbia
River, Snake River Basin
ESUs.
Atlantic Salmon*,1................ Salmo salar............... Salmonidae........... Atlantic, anadromous.
Dennys, E. Machias,
Machias, Pleasant,
Narraguagus, Ducktrap,
and Sheepscot River DPS
\3\.
[[Page 37563]]
Plants
Johnson's Seagrass................ Halophila johnsonii....... Hydrocharitaceae..... FL.
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*Addition to list.
\1\ Under status review.
[FR Doc. 97-18326 Filed 7-11-97; 8:45 am]
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