[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9489-9490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02987]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA872]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Abalone

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application to renew one scientific research 
permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received a request to 
renew an existing scientific research permit relating to black abalone. 
The proposed work 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 provided email address (see ADDRESSES) no later 
than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on March 18, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Because all West Coast NMFS offices are currently closed, 
all written comments on the application should be submitted by email to 
[email protected]. Please include the permit number (19571-2R) in 
the subject line of the email.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Wang, Long Beach, CA (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:
    Endangered black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii).

Background

Permit 19571-2R

    The NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, 
California, has requested to renew for five years a research permit 
that currently allows them to hold, breed, and conduct lab studies on 
captive black abalone. Under the permit, researchers would continue to 
maintain healthy populations of black abalone in captive facilities 
throughout California and test broodstock conditioning and spawning 
methods at the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
    The main purpose of the proposed research is to support recovery 
efforts by developing reliable spawning techniques to consistently 
produce high quality juvenile black abalone. The proposed research 
would examine:
    (1) Broodstock conditioning under different temperatures, diets, 
and photoperiod regimes;
    (2) Broodstock conditioning using hormones and simulated seasonal 
tidal cycles;
    (3) Spawning induction using dessication, thermal shock, hydrogen 
peroxide treatments, hormones, and seasonal tidal cycles; and
    (4) Growth and survival of captively-produced juveniles under 
different temperatures and diets.
    Activities would include captive holding, breeding, rearing, grow-
out, lab experiments, epipodial tissue sampling, observation, and 
transport of black abalone. Black abalone are currently held at the 
Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), the California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife Shellfish Health Laboratory, and the Monterey Bay 
Aquarium. The captive animals include pre-listed abalone that have been 
in captivity since before black abalone were listed as endangered under 
the ESA. Some of these were confiscated in law enforcement cases and 
some were collected as part of emergency response activities. 
Additional wild origin black abalone may be obtained through future 
confiscations and emergency response

[[Page 9490]]

activities that involve live black abalone.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the application, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the application meets the requirements 
of section 10(a) of the ESA and Federal regulations. The final permit 
decision 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.

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 222-226). 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 the application listed in this 
notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on the 
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such hearings are 
held at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 
NMFS.

    Dated: February 9, 2021.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-02987 Filed 2-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P