[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 180 (Friday, September 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57717-57718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23842]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA696


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Receipt of applications for scientific research permits; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received applications for 
section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) scientific 
research permits from FISHBIO Environmental, LLC (FISHBIO) in Oakdale, 
CA (16531), and California Department of Water Resources Environmental 
Services (DWR-ES), in West Sacramento, CA (16543). This document serves 
to notify the public of availability of the permit applications for 
review and comment.

DATES: Written comments on the permit applications must be received no 
later than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on October 17, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the permit applications should be sent 
to the appropriate office as indicated below. Comments may also be sent 
via e-mail to: [email protected] or fax to the number indicated 
for the request. The applications and related documents are available 
for review by appointment: Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 650 
Capitol Mall, Suite

[[Page 57718]]

5-100, Sacramento, CA 95814 (ph: 916-930-3600, fax: 916-930-3629).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shirley Witalis at phone number 916-
930-3606, or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    Issuance of permits and permit modifications, as required by the 
ESA of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543), is based on a finding that such 
permits/modifications: (1) Are applied for in good faith; (2) would not 
operate to the disadvantage of the listed species which are the subject 
of the permits; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies 
set forth in section 2 of the ESA. Authority to take listed species is 
subject to conditions set forth in the permits. Permits and 
modifications are issued in accordance with and are subject to the ESA 
and NMFS regulations governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR 
parts 222-226).
    Those individuals requesting a hearing on an application listed in 
this notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on that 
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). The holding of such a 
hearing is at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries, NOAA. All statements and opinions contained in the permit 
action summaries are those of the applicant and do not necessarily 
reflect the views of NMFS.

Species Covered in This Notice

    This notice is relevant to Federally endangered Sacramento River 
winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), threatened 
Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), threatened 
California Central Valley steelhead (O. mykiss), and threatened 
Southern distinct population segment of North American green sturgeon 
(Acipenser medirostris).

Applications Received

    FISHBIO requests a 5-year permit (16531) for an estimated annual 
take of adult and juvenile steelhead associated with research studies 
linking habitat and spatial variability in the Merced River, a 
tributary to the San Joaquin River, in the Central Valley, California. 
Activities proposed under Permit 16531 include evaluation of the 
effects of attraction flow augmentation on adult salmonid migration 
timing and salmonid spawning and rearing habitats; and data collection 
on fry and juvenile salmonid abundance, outmigration and survival in 
the lower Merced River. Indirect mortality of steelhead may occur 
during the implementation of research activities authorized under 
Permit 16531.
    FISHBIO proposes to monitor a fish counting weir operating from 
October 1 through December 31, in the lower Merced River, for 
enumeration of upstream migrating salmonids in conjunction with flow 
augmentation of the Merced River. FISHBIO will use a Didson sonar 
camera to observe fish migration at the weir. No mortality is 
anticipated with monitoring at the weir.
    FISHBIO proposes to monitor annual juvenile salmonid outmigration 
from January 1 through June 15, by rotary screw trapping in the upper 
and lower Merced River. Captured fish will be identified to species and 
enumerated. A subsample of 30 juvenile salmonids will be sedated with 
tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222), measured for lengths and weights, 
allowed to recover and will be released downstream. FISHBIO does not 
propose lethal take of fish being captured but some fish may expire as 
an unintentional result of research activities.
    FISHBIO requests authorization for an estimated annual take of 25 
natural-origin adult California Central Valley steelhead associated 
with observation and harassment during monitoring at the Merced River 
weir. FISHBIO requests authorization for an estimated annual take of 10 
(2 indirect mortality) natural-origin adult California Central Valley 
steelhead; and 50 (5 indirect mortality) natural-origin juvenile 
California Central Valley steelhead associated with capture by rotary 
screw trap, handling, anesthetization, and release downstream of the 
Merced River trapping sites.
    DWR-ES requests a 3-year permit (16543) to investigate predation of 
migrating native fishes as part of an on-going investigation of 
predation dynamics in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (delta), 
in the Central Valley, California. DWR-ES proposes to research 
predation by introduced and native resident fishes at six specific 
sites across fish migration corridors in the delta. The study will be 
conducted from November 30, 2011, to August 1, 2013, and will involve 
fish capture by gillnet and genetic analysis of trapped fish gut 
contents of various prey items. ESA-listed adult salmonids and green 
sturgeon incidentally collected in the gill nets will be measured and 
released after sufficient recovery in an aerated holding tank. DWR-ES 
requests authorization for the annual take of 5 (1 indirect mortality) 
natural-origin and 10 (1 indirect mortality hatchery-origin Sacramento 
River winter-run Chinook salmon adults, 12 (1 indirect mortality) 
natural-origin and 8 (1 indirect morality) hatchery-origin Central 
Valley spring-run Chinook salmon adults, 5 (1 indirect mortality) 
natural-origin and 10 (1 indirect mortality) hatchery-origin California 
Central Valley steelhead, and 1 adult, 5 subadult, and 2 juvenile 
natural Southern distinct population segment of North American green 
sturgeon associated with capture by gill net, handling (removal from 
net, length measurement, tank recovery), and release back into the 
delta ecosystem. No indirect mortality is anticipated for green 
sturgeon during the implementation of research activities authorized 
under Permit 16543.

    Dated: September 12, 2011.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-23842 Filed 9-15-11; 8:45 am]
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