[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23909-23910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09478]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA713


Endangered Species; Permit No. 16507-01

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a request for modification of 
scientific research Permit No. 16507 submitted by Dewayne Fox, Ph.D., 
of Delaware State University, 1200 North DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 
19901 has been granted.

ADDRESSES: The modification and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment:
    Permits and Conservation 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 Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 
Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298; phone (978)281-9328; 
fax (978)281-9394.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The requested modification has been granted 
under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the provisions of Sec.  222.306 of 
the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of 
endangered and threatened fish and wildlife (50 CFR 222-226).
    Permit No. 16507 authorizes researchers to use gill nets to capture 
adult and juvenile Atlantic sturgeon and egg mats to capture larval 
fish. Adult

[[Page 23910]]

and juvenile Atlantic sturgeon may be measured, weighed, photographed, 
passive integrated transponder and Floy tagged, and tissue sampled; a 
subset will be anesthetized, implanted with an internal sonic tag, fin 
ray sampled, and gonad tissue sampled. The objectives of this research 
are to provide more detailed information on the spawning location of 
sturgeon and to develop a fishery independent sampling program to help 
assess recovery of the species. The permit holder is now authorized to 
capture and sample up to 100 shortnose sturgeon annually in the 
Delaware River and Bay. All research objectives, capture methods, 
action areas, and activities remain unchanged. The modification is 
valid until the permit expires on April 5, 2017.
    Issuance of this 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: April 17, 2013.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-09478 Filed 4-22-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P