[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 34 (Friday, February 18, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-3790]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 18, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AB88

 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Additional Comment 
Period on the Proposed Rule Pertaining to Three Species of Kangaroos in 
Mainland Australia

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that 
the comment period has been extended through March 7, 1994, on the 
proposed action to delist the three kangaroo species in mainland 
Australia presently listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered 
Species Act as amended (Act) as well as action to rescind the existing 
special rule applicable to these species. Information on population 
numbers of the red kangaroo, western gray kangaroo, and eastern gray 
kangaroo in States of Western Australia, South Australia, New South 
Wales and Queensland has been provided by the Australian Nature 
Conservation Agency.

DATES: Comments must be received by March 7, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments, information, and questions should be sent to the 
Chief, Office of Scientific Authority; Mail Stop: Arlington Square, 
room 725; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Washington, DC 20240 (Fax 
number 730-358-2276). Express and messenger-delivered mail should be 
addressed to the Office of Scientific Authority; room 750, 4401 North 
Fairfax Drive; Arlington, Virginia 22203. Comments and other 
information received will be available for public inspection, by 
appointment from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the 
Arlington, Virginia address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Charles W. Dane, Chief, Office of Scientific Authority, at the 
above address (phone 703-358-1708).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The red kangaroo (Macropus rufus), the 
western gray kangaroo M. fuliginous, and the eastern gray kangaroo (M. 
giganteus), except the subspecies M. g. tasmaniensis, which was listed 
as endangered, were listed in 1974 as threatened pursuant to the Act 
(39 FR 44990), and the commercial importation of kangaroos, their parts 
and products was banned. A special rule to allow such importations into 
the United States, after development of adequate State management 
plans, accompanied the listing. The Service accepted the management 
programs for four Australian States and lifted the importation ban in 
1981 (46 FR 23929), after kangaroo management plans and population 
survey techniques had been strengthened. The Service allowed 
continuation of the commercial importation of kangaroos in 1983 (48 FR 
34757) and in 1984 withdrew a proposed rule to delist the three species 
of kangaroos because of the severe and widespread drought of 1982-1983 
(49 FR 17555).
    The Service was petitioned on December 20, 1989, by Greenpeace USA, 
with subsequent support from other groups, ``to reinstate the ban on 
commercial importation of kangaroos and of kangaroo products.'' The 
Wildlife Legislative Fund of America submitted a petition dated 
November 6, 1990, which was received by the Service on the following 
day. That petition requested that all populations of the red kangaroo 
(Macropus rufus), the western gray kangaroo (M. fuliginous), and the 
eastern gray kangaroo (M. giganteus), except the subspecies M. g. 
tasmaniensis, be removed from the list of threatened species under the 
Endangered Species Act.
    The Service, in a Federal Register notice of June 12, 1991 (56 FR 
26971), found that the action requested in the November 6, 1990, 
petition may be warranted and requested additional comments as part of 
a continuing status review of kangaroos and kangaroo management in 
Australia. The comment period was reopened until September 10, 1991. 
That comment period was later extended to September 24, 1991, in a 
Federal Register notice dated September 17, 1991 (56 FR 47060). The 
Service directly evaluated kangaroo management in Australia by sending 
representatives in March 1990 and July 1992, and by requesting and 
evaluating information about kangaroo management obtained from 
Commonwealth and State governments. On January 21, 1993 (58 FR 5341), 
the Service proposed to remove the three kangaroo species listed as 
threatened from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and 
deferred its decision on the petition of December 20, 1989. That 
proposed rule noted that New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, 
and Western Australia have developed adequate and effective 
conservation programs that ensured the protection of these macropod 
species (refer to the January 21, 1993, Federal Register notice for 
specifics of the Service's assessment).
    Information recently received from the Australian Nature 
Conservation Agency (ANCA) (formerly the Australian National Parks and 
Wildlife Service) indicates population declines for each of the three 
species in most of the States, but all are within the range of 
variation in population levels since 1981. These figures were reviewed 
by the Australian Scientific Advisory Committee on Kangaroos, and 
management recommendations on the part of the Commonwealth and States 
governments are being developed. However, in order for the public to 
have full opportunity to comment on the new information the Service is 
summarizing the population information and will provide the complete 
communique from ANCA to those requesting it. The information sent by 
ANCA also includes two short documents prepared by the Australian 
Bureau of Meteorology on droughts in Australia.
    Population estimates for red kangaroos in the commercial harvest 
zone are 1,483,700, 2,760,000, 1,362,700, and 2,960,000 for South 
Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia, and Queensland, 
respectively. The estimates in the first three States were derived from 
fixed-wing surveys and use the Caughley correction factors, and those 
in Queensland were ``derived from helicopter counts in 9 survey blocks 
extrapolated to the total harvest area for each species'' (ANCA in 
litt.). The population estimates represent declines of about 10 
percent, 18 percent, and 3.5 percent between 1992 and 1993 for South 
Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland, respectively. Red kangaroo 
populations in Western Australia have fluctuated from 1,004,000, 
1,993,000, 2,329,000, 2,370,000, to 1,362,700 in 1981, 1984, 1987, 
1990, and 1993, respectively.
    The 1993 estimate of 8,360,000 eastern gray kangaroos in Queensland 
(based on helicopter surveys) represents a 20 percent decline between 
1992 and 1993. The 1993 estimates of 2,440,000 and 1,250,000 eastern 
and western gray kangaroos in New South Wales (based on fixed-wing 
surveys) represent an 8 percent decline in gray kangaroos from 
estimates in 1992 in that State. The 1993 estimate of 380,800 western 
gray kangaroos in South Australia (based on fixed-wing surveys) 
represents a 4 percent increase between 1992 and 1993.
    The population estimate of 433,800 for western gray kangaroos in 
Western Australia indicated a decline of 60 percent between 1990 and 
1993. In view of ``the average to exceptional rainfall and low harvest 
rates between 1990 and 1993 *  *  * the 1990 population estimates for 
Western Greys in Western Australia was re-examined and estimates for 
the commonly surveyed blocks for the period 1981 to 1993 reviewed'' 
(op. cit.). The Service understands that some blocks were not surveyed 
in 1993, but more importantly ``the 1990 population estimate was 
identified as being principally due to anomalously high densities 
recorded on two 1 deg.  x  1 deg. degree [sic] blocks. If these two 
blocks are excluded and comparison is made only with the common survey 
blocks, the decline between the 1990 estimates and the 1993 estimates 
is 9 percent'' (op. cit.). The population estimates for western gray 
kangaroos for commonly surveyed areas in Western Australia excluding 
estimates obtained from the two blocks for 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, and 
1993 are 277,200, 274,300, 325,300, 446,200, and 406,200, respectively.
    In light of this new information, the Service is extending the 
comment period on the proposal to delist the threatened species of 
kangaroo. Comments and additional information concerning any aspect of 
the proposed rule are hereby solicited from the public, concerned 
governmental agencies within the United States, the Australian 
government, the scientific community, industry, private interests, and 
any other interested parties.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

    Dated: February 9, 1994.
Richard N. Smith,
Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 94-3790 Filed 2-17-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M