[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 18820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07945]



[[Page 18820]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD873


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Application for one new scientific research permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received a permit 
application request for a new scientific research permit. The proposed 
research is intended to increase knowledge of species listed under the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management, 
conservation, and recovery efforts. The application may be viewed 
online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the application 
must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on May 8, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the application should be submitted to 
the Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 777 Sonoma Avenue, Room 325, 
Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 707-
578-3435 or by email to [email protected] (include the permit 
number in the subject line of the fax or email).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Jahn, Santa Rosa, CA (ph.: 
707-575-6097), Fax: 707-578-3435, email: [email protected]). Permit 
application instructions are available from the address above, or 
online at https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Species Covered in This Notice

    The following listed species are covered in this notice:
    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened Snake River 
spring/summer-run (SR spr/sum); threatened Lower Columbia River (LCR); 
threatened California Coastal (CC); threatened Central Valley spring-
run (CVSR), endangered Sacramento River winter-run (SRWR).
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch): threatened Southern Oregon/Northern 
California Coast (SONCC); endangered Central California Coast (CCC).
    Steelhead (O. mykiss): threatened Northern California (NC); 
threatened Central California Coast (CCC), threatened California 
Central Valley (CCV).

Authority

    Scientific research permits are issued in accordance with section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and regulations 
governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222-227). NMFS 
issues permits based on findings that such permits: (1) Are applied for 
in good faith; (2) if granted and exercised, would not operate to the 
disadvantage of the listed species that are the subject of the permit; 
and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policy of section 2 of the 
ESA. The authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set 
forth in the permits.
    Anyone 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). Such hearings are held at the 
discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NMFS.

Application Received

Permit 19320

    The NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), Fisheries 
Ecology Division (FED) is requesting a permit to annually take sub-
adult and juvenile listed salmon and steelhead for a period of five 
years. The permit would authorize research designed to (1) determine 
the inter-annual and seasonal variability in growth, feeding, and 
energy status among juvenile salmonids in the coastal ocean off 
northern and central California; (2) determine migration paths and 
spatial distribution among genetically distinct salmonid stocks during 
their early ocean residence; (3) characterize the biological and 
physical oceanographic features associated with juvenile salmon ocean 
habitat from the shore to the continental shelf break; (4) identify 
potential links between coastal geography, oceanographic features, and 
salmon distribution patterns; and (5) identify and test ecological 
indices for salmon survival. This research would benefit listed fish by 
informing comprehensive lifecycle models that incorporate both 
freshwater and marine conditions and recognize the relationship between 
the two habitats; it would also identify and predict sources of salmon 
mortality at sea and thereby help managers develop indices of salmonid 
survival in the marine environment.
    Listed fish would be captured primarily via surface trawling, 
however midwater trawling and beach seining would be used occasionally. 
Sub-adult salmonids (i.e., fish larger than 250 mm) that survive 
capture would have fin tissue and scale samples taken, and then be 
released. Any subadult salmonids that do not survive capture, and all 
juvenile salmonids (i.e., fish larger than 80 mm but less than 250 mm) 
would be lethally sampled (i.e., intentional directed mortality) in 
order to collect (1) otoliths for age and growth studies; (2) coded 
wire tags for origin and age of hatchery fish; (3) muscle tissue for 
stable isotopes and/or lipid assays; (4) stomachs and contents for diet 
studies; and (5) other tissues including the heart, liver, intestines, 
pyloric caeca, and kidney for special studies upon request.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the applications, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the applications meet the requirements 
of section 10(a) of the ESA and Federal regulations. The final permit 
decisions will not be made until after the end of the 30-day comment 
period. NMFS will publish notice of its final action in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: April 2, 2015.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-07945 Filed 4-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P