[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 146 (Friday, July 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45517-45518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19258]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA605


Endangered Species; File No. 13330-01

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Issuance of permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southeast Fisheries Center 
(SEFSC) (hereinafter ``Permit Holder''); 75 Virginia Beach Drive, 
Miami, FL 33149 [Responsible Party: Bonnie Ponwith, PhD], has been 
issued a permit modification to take smalltooth sawfish in Florida 
waters for purposes of scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit modification and related documents are available 
for review upon written request or by appointment in the following 
offices:
     Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910; phone (301) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376; and
     Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint 
Petersburg, Florida 33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Malcolm Mohead or Colette Cairns, 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 17, 2011, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (76 FR 14650) that a scientific research permit 
modification to take smalltooth sawfish had been submitted by the 
above-named organization. The requested permit modification has been 
issued 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).
    The primary objective of the permit modification will remain 
unchanged from the original permit: to collect data on the biology, 
distribution and abundance of the endangered smalltooth sawfish to 
facilitate recovery of the species. Sampling with the goal of taking 45 
smalltooth sawfish per year is currently authorized by longline, 
gillnet, seine net, drum (set) lines, or rod and reel throughout 
Florida's coastal waters, but primarily in the region of the Florida 
coast from Naples to Key West,

[[Page 45518]]

encompassing the Ten Thousand Islands. All captured sawfish are also 
authorized to be handled, measured, tagged, sampled, and released 
alive. Tagging methods include rototags (fin dart tags, Passive 
Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags, acoustic tags (transmitters), Pop-Up 
Archival transmitting (PAT) tags, and Smart Position Only Transmitting 
(SPOT) tags. Sampling methods also include taking a small genetic 
tissue fin clip and blood sample. Additionally, dead sawfish acquired 
through strandings or through law enforcement confiscations are sampled 
for scientific purposes.
    However, to increase tag retention and provide less invasive 
tagging techniques, the applicant has now been authorized to replace 
plastic rototags used to secure VEMCO acoustic transmitters with 
neoprene clasp tags; and nylon umbrella darts used to secure PAT tags 
will be replaced with dorsal fin harnesses. Additionally, SPOT tags 
will now be excluded as a tagging method. Better data collection using 
these modified tagging methods could provide increased insight into 
habitat usage pattern and accomplish actions items identified in the 
recovery plan for the species.
    Issuance of this permit modification, as required by the ESA, was 
based on a finding that such permit (1) was applied for in good faith, 
(2) will not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered or 
threatened species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and 
policies set forth in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: July 26, 2011.
P. Michael Paine,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-19258 Filed 7-28-11; 8:45 am]
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