[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 17316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8254]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 031795B]


Endangered Species; Permits

    On February 13, 1995, an application was filed by the Idaho 
Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) for a modification to their 
scientific research and enhancement Permit 795 (P503A). Permit 795, 
issued on July 29, 1992, allows IDFG to carry out scientific research 
and enhancement activities, including a captive broodstock program, 
with endangered Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) as 
authorized by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531-
1543) and the NMFS regulations governing listed fish and wildlife 
permits (50 CFR parts 217-227).
    To reduce risks, some aspects of the endangered Snake River sockeye 
salmon captive broodstock program have been divided between IDFG and 
NMFS's Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC). Eggs taken from the 
only female sockeye that returned to Redfish Lake in 1991 were 
transferred from Idaho to the University of Washington's Big Beef Creek 
Hatchery in Seattle, under the responsibility of NMFS, as authorized by 
Permit 795. These eggs were reared to maturity and spawned with the 
major complication being the incidence of Bacterial Kidney Disease 
(BKD). The degree of BKD infection was recorded based on the optical 
density (O.D.) of samples as determined by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent 
Assay (ELISA).
    The eggs with O.D.'s of less than 0.2 have been transferred back to 
Idaho for final rearing. Idaho will not accept eggs with higher BKD 
levels. The higher BKD level eggs are being held and hatched at Big 
Beef Creek Hatchery rather than culled. The capability to raise these 
fish to smolt size does not exist at Big Beef Creek Hatchery. The 
health and well-being of these listed fish is in jeopardy because they 
will have to be killed if they are not transferred to an adequate 
rearing facility. IDFG, in coordination with NWFSC, applied for a 
modification to Permit 795 to allow the transfer of these listed fish 
to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Mitchell Act 
funded rearing facility at Bonneville Hatchery for final rearing. ODFW 
will rear the fish at Bonneville Hatchery in accordance with the 
guidelines recommended by the Integrated Hatchery Oversight Team. ODFW 
employs these hatchery practices in their other fishery production 
programs. ODFW will be acting as an agent of IDFG under the terms and 
conditions of Permit 795 in the care and maintenance of these fish 
until a separate ESA Section 10 permit is issued to NWFSC authorizing 
the release of these fish, which is expected to occur in the spring of 
1996. The release locations and other aspects of the release strategy 
will be determined by the results of a joint technical meeting on this 
issue, to be held later this year among the involved agencies and 
Tribes.
    Notice is hereby given that on March 29, 1995, as authorized by the 
provisions of the ESA, NMFS issued an amendment of Modification 4 to 
Permit 795 for the above take, subject to certain conditions set forth 
therein.
    Notice is hereby given that the Idaho Department of Fish and Game 
(IDFG) has applied in due form for Modification 6 to scientific 
research and enhancement Permit 795 (P503A) to take listed species as 
authorized by the ESA and the NMFS regulations governing listed fish 
and wildlife permits.
    For Modification 6 to Permit 795, IDFG requests authorization to: 
(1) release broodyear (BY) 1994 juvenile sockeye progeny of listed 
adults directly into Redfish Lake or into net pens in Redfish Lake in 
July and directly into the lake in October, 1995; (2) release BY 1994 
juvenile sockeye progeny of listed adults directly into Pettit Lake in 
June, 1995; and (3) modify a condition in the permit requiring that an 
auxiliary water supply must accompany any vehicle used to transport 
listed sockeye salmon to pertain to the transport of listed adults 
only. The releases of listed sockeye broodstock into Pettit Lake has 
previously been denied by NMFS since the lake is stocked annually with 
rainbow trout for recreational fishing, under the authority of Permit 
908. NMFS is concerned about possible interactions between stocked 
rainbow trout and listed sockeye salmon in the lake, primarily diet 
overlap and predation. Permit 795 expires on July 31, 1997.
    Written data or views, or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be submitted to the Chief, Endangered Species 
Division, Office of Protected Resources, F/PR8, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226, within 30 days of the 
publication of this notice. Those individuals requesting a hearing 
should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on this particular 
application would be appropriate. The holding of such hearing is at the 
discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA. All 
statements and opinions contained in this application summary are those 
of the applicant and do not necessarily reflect the views of NMFS.
    Documents submitted in connection with the above application are 
available for review by interested persons in the following offices by 
appointment:
    Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, NOAA, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226 (301-713-1401); and
    Environmental and Technical Services Division, NMFS, NOAA, 525 
North East Oregon St., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97232 (503-230-5400).

    Dated: March 29, 1995.
Russell J. Bellmer,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-8254 Filed 4-4-95; 8:45 am]
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