[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 2, 1996)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 17] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-31540] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Parts 222 and 227 [I.D. 101995A] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Status Reviews of Listed Sea Turtles AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NMFS and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Department of the Interior (collectively, the Services), announce the availability of the status reviews of endangered and threatened sea turtles, as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Based upon these reviews and any written comments received, the Services may consider changes in the listing status for the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtle. The status review for the green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle is currently under Service evaluation and is not available with this notice. Upon completion of their evaluation, the Services will make the green sea turtle status review available under separate notice in the Federal Register. DATES: February 1, 1996. ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the status reviews may be submitted to the Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phil Williams, 301-713-1401, or Richard Byles, 505-248-6647. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The ESA is administered jointly by the Services. NMFS has jurisdiction over species in the marine system while FWS has jurisdiction elsewhere. Listed endangered and threatened species under NMFS jurisdiction are enumerated in 50 CFR 222.23(a) and 50 CFR 227.4, respectively. The List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) which contains species under the jurisdiction of both Services, is found in 50 CFR part 17. Pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement between the two Services, the jurisdiction over listed sea turtles is shared: FWS has responsibility for sea turtles primarily in the terrestrial environment, while NMFS has responsibility for sea turtles primarily in the marine environment. Presently, all sea turtle species found in the United States are listed as follows: Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) are listed as endangered; loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles are listed as threatened, except for breeding populations of green turtles in Florida and on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and breeding populations of olive ridleys on the Pacific coast of Mexico, which are listed as endangered. Section 4(c)(2) of the ESA requires that, at least once every 5 years, a review of the species on the List be conducted to determine whether any species should be (1) removed from the List, (2) changed in status from an endangered species to a threatened species, or (3) changed in status from a threatened species to an endangered species. Criteria for determining a reclassification are found at 50 CFR 424.11(c). The status reviews of sea turtles listed under the ESA are available (see ADDRESSES). Based upon the status reviews, the Services are considering the following listing change. Olive Ridley Turtles. The western North Atlantic population would be classified as endangered, rather than threatened. This reclassification was first considered in a notice published on November 9, 1984 (49 FR 44775), at which time the western North Atlantic (Surinam and adjacent areas) nesting population was reported to have declined 80 percent since 1967. This rate of decline continues despite over 2 decades of protection by personnel from the Surinam Nature Protection Foundation. This area is heavily trawled for shrimp, and trawlers have been the principal source of returned tags that had been applied to nesting females on the local beaches. Consequently, incidental capture in trawls is a likely cause of the progressive depletion of this population. Pursuant to Public Law 101-162, the importation of shrimp and shrimp products from Surinam and French Guiana was banned in 1993 because those countries failed to demonstrate that they had adopted a regulatory program that governed the incidental taking of sea turtles comparable to that of the United States. During an annual review in May 1995, shrimp imports were again embargoed from both countries due to their lack of turtle excluder device use. The incidental capture of turtles in trawls is a major concern in this area. Dated: December 22, 1995. Ann D. Terbush, Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 95-31540 Filed 12-29-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-M