[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 183 (Friday, September 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 65369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20576]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XD367]


Endangered Species; File No. 20528

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for a permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that South Carolina Department of 
Natural Resources, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412 (Bill 
Post, Responsible Party), has requested a modification to scientific 
research Permit No. 20528-04.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 23, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The modification request and related documents are available 
for review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the 
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species 
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File 
No. 20528 mod 13 from the list of available applications. These 
documents are also available upon written request via email to 
[email protected].
    Written comments on this application should be submitted via email 
to [email protected]. Please include File No. 20528 in the 
subject line of the email comment.
    Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a 
written request via email to [email protected]. The request 
should set forth the specific reasons why a hearing on this application 
would be appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Markin, Ph.D., or Malcolm Mohead, 
(301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject modification to Permit No. 
20528-04, issued on October 31, 2022 (87 FR 68133, November 14, 2022) 
is requested under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 
as amended (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).
    Permit No. 20528-04 authorizes the permit holder to: conduct 
research on Atlantic (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and shortnose (A. 
brevirostrum) sturgeon to determine their presence, status, health, 
habitat use, and movements in South Carolina waters. Researchers may 
use gill nets to capture Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon to measure, 
weigh, passive integrated transponder tag (PIT), dart tag, tissue 
sample, fin ray sample, and photograph prior to release. A subset of 
Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon may receive internal acoustic 
transmitters, gonad biopsy, and laparoscopy. Early life stages of each 
species may be lethally sampled to document occurrence of spawning in 
systems. Up to two sturgeon of each species may unintentionally die 
annually during sampling activities. The permit holder requests 
authorization to: 1) increase the number of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon 
from 10 to 30 in the Santee, Edisto and Savannah Rivers, and from 20 to 
30 in the Winyah Bay area to be captured, measured, weighed, PIT 
tagged, dart tagged, tissue sampled, acoustically tagged, fin ray 
sampled, and photographed annually prior to release; a subset may be 
biopsied (gonad) and laparoscopied, and 2) increase the number of 
juvenile Atlantic sturgeon from 70 to 125 in the Savannah River to be 
to be captured, measured, weighed, PIT tagged, dart tagged, tissue 
sampled, fin ray sampled, and photographed annually prior to release. 
The permit is valid through March 31, 2027.

    Dated: September 19, 2023.
Julia M. Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-20576 Filed 9-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P