Details:

Alternative Title:
Environmental assessment on the effects of the issuance of a scientific research permit (file no. 14759) to conduct scientific research on shortnose sturgeon in North Carolina rivers;Environmental assessment for the issuance of 12 scientific research permits for research on Atlantic sturgeon (file no. 16375);Environmental assessment on the issuance of an Incidental Harassment Authorization to Scripps Institution of Oceanography to take marine mammals by harassment incidental to a low-energy marine geophysical survey in the tropical western Pacific Ocean, September to October 2013;
Personal Author:
Wieting, Donna
Corporate Authors:
United States, National Marine Fisheries Service., Office of Protected Resources. ; United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration., Office of Program Planning and Integration,
United States, National Marine Fisheries Service., Office of Protected Resources. ; United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration., Office of Program Planning and Integration, Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) ; NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) ; OPR (Office of Protected Resources)
NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) ; NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) ; OPR (Office of Protected Resources) Less -
Description:
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes to issue modifications to two research permits held by the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit [hereinafter "Permit Holder" and Joseph Hightower, Ph.D., Responsible Party/Principal Investigator: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695] for takes of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) (File No. 14759-01) and for takes of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) (File No. 16375-01) in the wild, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The research objectives for both permits would remain unchanged: to collect data on the biology, distribution and abundance of endangered shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon to facilitate recovery of the respective species. In Permit No. 14759, the Permit Holder is currently authorized to capture with gill net, measure, weigh, genetic tissue sample, PIT tag and Floy tag up to 15 shortnose sturgeon annually from the Chowan and Cape Fear River Basins and Albemarle Sound. Additionally, the Permit Holder is authorized to capture and sample up to 25 shortnose sturgeon per year from the Roanoke River Basin. Annually, a sub- set of up to five sub-adults or adults from each of the river basins and Albemarle Sound can also be anesthetized and surgically implanted with internal sonic transmitters annually. In Permit No. 16375, the Permit Holder is authorized to capture with gill nets measure, weigh, genetic tissue sample, PIT and Floy tag up to 200 Atlantic sturgeon annually from the same locations authorized in Permit No. 14759. Further, a sub-set of up to ninety juvenile, sub-adult or adult Atlantic sturgeon may be annually implanted with acoustic transmitter tags within the Albemarle Sound, and Roanoke, Chowan and Cape Fear River Basins, with no more than 45 tagged in each the Cape Fear River system or the combined area for the Albemarle Sound, Roanoke River and Chowan River. The applicant now requests authorization to verify spawning activity shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon by deploying artificial egg mats downstream of suspected spawning areas to take up to 50 early life stages (ELS) of each species annually from both the Roanoke River and Cape Fear River (total of 200 ELS). The expanded action area for each species up to the first impassible dam on the Roanoke River (rkm 221) and on the Cape Fear (rkm 300), will also be a part of the permit modification. All other currently authorized takes, methods and activities would remain the same for each permit. The modifications would be valid through the expiration dates of the original Permit No. 14759 (August 19, 2015) and Permit No. 16375 (April 5, 2017).
Keywords:
[+]
Atlantic Sturgeon Environmental Aspects Environmental Impact Analysis Environmental Impact Statements Environmental Policy Government Policy Licenses Research Shortnose Sturgeon Spawning Sturgeon Fisheries
Document Type:
Environmental Assessment
Place as Subject:
United States ; Roanoke River (Va. and N.C.) ; North Carolina ; Cape Fear River
United States ; Roanoke River (Va. and N.C.) ; North Carolina ; Cape Fear River Less -
Rights Information:
Public Domain
Compliance:
Submitted
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:16817cb5000aae2be908853cd65429fc1e307a1d8a0cea19358d064b60a4c3c5
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/4747/noaa_4747_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

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