Federal Register: October 17, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 199)
DOCID: FR Doc 05-20713
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
DOCUMENT ID: [I.D. 092705B]
NOTICE: NOTICES
ACTION: Endangered and threatened species:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice; availability of fishery plan and request for comment; Correction
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish; Correction
DATES: Comments on the FMEPs must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific daylight time on November 2, 2005.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
This document corrects an earlier version of this action that was published on October 3, 2005, in which the ACTION statement was omitted. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has submitted a Fishery Management and Evaluation Plan (FMEP) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has submitted an amendment to an FMEP pursuant to the protective regulations promulgated for Lower Columbia River (LCR) coho salmon under the Endangered Species Act. The FMEPs specify the future management of inland recreational fisheries potentially affecting LCR coho salmon. This document serves to notify the public of the availability of the FMEPs for review and comment before final approval or disapproval is made by NMFS.
SUMMARY:
Anadromous fish take—; Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Lower Columbia River coho salmon; correction,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Species Covered in This Notice
This notice is relevant to the Lower Columbia River coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Lower Columbia River Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), Lower Columbia River steelhead (O. mykiss), and Columbia River chum salmon (O. keta) evolutionarily significant unit (ESU).
ODFW has submitted to NMFS an FMEP: Lower Columbia River Coho in
Oregon Freshwater Fisheries of the Lower Columbia River Tributaries
(between the Pacific Ocean and Hood River). WDFW has submitted an
amendment to their Lower Columbia River FMEP for inland recreational
fisheries potentially affecting listed adult and juvenile LCR coho
salmon. These FMEPs include fisheries occurring in all tributaries to
the Lower Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean to the Hood River in
Oregon and the Big White Salmon River in Washington. The objective of
the fisheries described in these FMEPs is to harvest known, hatchery
origin coho salmon, and other fish species in a manner that does not
appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of listed
LCR salmon and steelhead ESUs. All fisheries included in these FMEPs
will be managed such that only hatcheryorigin coho salmon that are
adipose finclipped may be retained. Impact levels on listed LCR coho
salmon are specified in ODFW's FMEP and the amendment to WDFW's FMEP.
Population viability analysis and risk assessments in the FMEPs
indicate the extinction risk for listed coho salmon would not increase [[Page 60285]]
as a result of the proposed fisheries. A variety of monitoring and
evaluation tasks are specified in the FMEPs to assess the abundance of
coho salmon, determine fishery effort and catch of coho salmon and
other species, and monitor angler compliance. A review of compliance
with the provisions of the FMEPs will be conducted by the state
fisheries agencies annually and a comprehensive review to evaluate the
effectiveness of the FMEPs will occur at a minimum every 5 years.
As specified in the July 10, 2000, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 4(d) rule for salmon and steelhead (65 FR 42422) and updated rule (June 28, 2005, 70 FR 37160), NMFS may approve an FMEP if it meets criteria set forth in 50 CFR 223.203(b)(4)(i)(A) through (I). Prior to final approval of an FMEP, NMFS must publish notification announcing its availability for public review and comment.
Authority
Under section 4 of the ESA, the Secretary of Commerce is required to adopt such regulations as he deems necessary and advisable for the conservation of species listed as threatened. The ESA salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 37160, July 28, 2005) specifies categories of activities that contribute to the conservation of listed salmonids and sets out the criteria for such activities. The rule further provides that the prohibitions of paragraph (a) of the rule do not apply to activities associated with fishery harvest provided that an FMEP has been approved by NMFS to be in accordance with the salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule (65 FR 42422, July 10, 2000, as updated in 70 FR 37160, July 28, 2005).
Dated: October 12, 2005.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 0520713 Filed 101405; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 351022S
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Richard Turner, Portland, Oregon, at phone number: (503) 7364737, or email: rich.turner@noaa.gov.