[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 96 (Tuesday, May 20, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21467-21468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08943]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE901]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Initiation of a 5-Year Review
of the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon
(Salmo salar)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce, and United States Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for information.
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SUMMARY: NMFS and USFWS announce the initiation of a 5-year review of
the endangered Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The Endangered Species Act (ESA)
requires us to conduct a review of listed species at least once every 5
years to determine whether a species should be removed from the list
(i.e., delisted), reclassified from an endangered species to a
threatened species (i.e., downlisted), or reclassified from a
threatened species to an endangered species (i.e., uplisted). The
determination must be based on the best scientific and commercial data
available at the time of the review. Therefore, we request relevant
information (e.g., biology, threats, and conservation efforts) that has
become available since our previous review of the species.
DATES: To allow us adequate time to conduct the 5-year review, we must
receive your information no later than July 21, 2025. While we accept
new information about any listed species at any time, information
received after the date stated above may not be considered for the
purposes of this review.
ADDRESSES: Submit your information electronically via the Federal
eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-
NMFS-2025-0043 in the Search box. Click on the ``Comment'' icon,
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
Instructions: We may not consider comments or other information if
sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or
received after the date stated above. All comments and information
received are a part of the public record, and we will post the comments
for public viewing on https://www.regulations.gov. All personal
identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.) submitted
voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. Do not submit
confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected
information. We will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the
required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Tierney, NMFS Greater Atlantic
Regional Fisheries Office, 207-866-3755, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces our initiation of the
Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) 5-year review.
Section 4(c)(2) of the ESA requires us to conduct a review of listed
species at least once every 5 years to determine whether species should
be removed from the list, changed in status from an endangered species
to a threatened species, or changed in status from a threatened species
to an endangered species (16 U.S.C. 1533(c)(2)). Section 4(a)(1) of the
ESA requires us to determine whether any species is an endangered or
threatened species because of any of the following factors: (A) the
present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its
habitat or range; (B) overutilization for commercial, recreational,
scientific, or educational purposes; (C) disease or predation; (D) the
inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or (E) other natural or
manmade factors affecting its continued existence (16 U.S.C.
1533(a)(1)). Section 4(b)(1)(A) of the ESA requires us to make the
determination based solely on the best scientific and commercial data
available at the time of the review and after taking into account
efforts to protect the species (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(1)(A)). Regulations
in 50 CFR 424.21 require that we publish a notice in the Federal
Register announcing species currently under active review.
After reviewing all information, we publish our determination on
the NMFS website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/atlantic-salmon-5-year-review. Any recommended change (i.e., delisting or
reclassification) would require a separate rulemaking process. In 2020,
we previously performed a review of the Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic
salmon, which is available at the NMFS website, along with additional
background information on the species.
Public Solicitation of Relevant Information
To ensure that the 5-year review is based on the best scientific
and commercial data available, we are soliciting information from the
public, governmental agencies, Tribes, the scientific community,
industry,
[[Page 21468]]
environmental organizations, and any other interested parties. We
request information that has become available since the previous review
was published in 2020. Categories of requested information include: (1)
species biology including, but not limited to, abundance, population
trends, demographics, distribution, and diversity; (2) habitat
conditions including, but not limited to, amount, distribution,
suitability, and important features for conservation; (3) degree,
nature, and trends of threats to the species and its habitats,
especially those factors described in section 4(a)(1) of the ESA and
listed above; (4) conservation efforts that have been implemented to
benefit the species, including monitoring data demonstrating the
effectiveness of such efforts; and (5) other information, data, or
corrections including, but not limited to, taxonomic or nomenclatural
changes and improved analytical methods for evaluating extinction risk.
The Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic salmon was listed as a distinct
population segment, which is included in the ESA definition of species
(16 U.S.C. 1532) and further explained by the Policy Regarding the
Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate Population Segments (61 FR 4722;
February 7, 1996). Therefore, we also request information that has
become available since the last review on: (1) the discreteness of the
population segment in relation to the remainder of the species to which
it belongs; (2) the significance of the population segment to the
species to which it belongs; and (3) the population segment's
conservation status in relation to the Act's standards for listing
(i.e., is the population segment endangered or threatened?).
If you wish to provide information for the review, please submit
your information and materials electronically (see ADDRESSES section).
We request that all information be accompanied by supporting
documentation such as maps, bibliographic references, or reprints of
pertinent publications.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: May 14, 2025.
Shannon Bettridge,
Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-08943 Filed 5-19-25; 8:45 am]
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