[Federal Register: June 16, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 116)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 33968-33970]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jn08-19]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[FWS-R9-IA-2008-0075; 96100-1671-0000-B6; 1018-AT56]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Petition To
Reclassify the Argentine Population of the Broad-Snouted Caiman From
Endangered to Threatened
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding and initiation of status
review.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce our
90-day finding on a petition to reclassify the Argentine population of
the broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) from endangered to
threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
We find that the petition presents substantial scientific and
commercial information indicating that the petitioned action of
reclassifying the broad-snouted caiman in Argentina from endangered to
threatened status under the Act may be warranted. Therefore, we are
initiating a status review of the broad-snouted caiman to determine if
reclassification of the population in Argentina, as petitioned, is
warranted under the Act. To ensure that the status review is
comprehensive, we are requesting submission of any new information on
the broad-snouted caiman since its original listing as an endangered
species in 1976. At the conclusion of our status review, we will make
the requisite recommendation under section 4(c)(2)(B) of the Act and
issue a 12-month finding on the petition, as provided in section
4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.
DATES: To be considered in the 12-month finding on this petition, we
will accept comments and information from all interested parties until
September 15, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit information, materials, and comments by one
of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing,
Attn: [FWS-R9-IA-2008-0075]; Division of Policy and Directives
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive;
Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all comments on
http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any
personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments section
below for more information).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marie T. Maltese, Division of
Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax
Drive, Room 110, Arlington, VA 22203; telephone: 703-358-1708;
facsimile: 703-358-2276; e-mail: ScientificAuthority@fws.gov. Persons
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Information Solicited
We intend that any final action resulting from this status review
will be as accurate and effective as possible based on the best
available scientific and commercial information. Therefore, we solicit
information, comments, or suggestions on the broad-snouted caiman from
the public, concerned government agencies, the scientific community,
industry, or any other interested party. We are opening a 90-day public
comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to
provide information on the status of the Argentine population of the
broad-snouted caiman, as well as the status of the species throughout
its range, including:
(1) Information on taxonomy, distribution, habitat selection and
use, food habits, population density and trends, habitat trends, and
effects of management on broad-snouted caimans in the wild;
(2) Information on broad-snouted caiman ranching programs in
Argentina and throughout the caiman's range; including efficacy of
programs, origin of parental stock, stock supplementation for any
purpose, including genetic purposes, growth rates, birth and mortality
rates in captivity, location of ranches in comparison to wild
populations, effects of ranching on the species' natural habitats and
wild populations, wastewater management, and any other factors
occurring from ranching activities that might negatively affect or
reduce the species' natural habitat or range;
(3) Information on the adequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms,
trends in domestic and international trade, illicit hunting of wild
broad-snouted caimans, illegal trade and enforcement efforts and
current and/or future solutions to poaching and illegal trade, products
resulting from caiman
[[Page 33969]]
ranching programs, current identification systems for products
including tagging and marking, and use of the species by the scientific
community;
(4) Information on the effects of other potential threat factors,
including contaminants, changes in the distribution and abundance of
wild populations, disease outbreaks within ranching programs, large
mortality events, or negative effects resulting from the presence of
invasive species;
(5) Information on management programs for broad-snouted caiman
conservation in the wild, including private or government-funded
conservation programs that benefit broad-snouted caimans; and
(6) Information relevant to the possibility that the Argentine
population of the broad-snouted caiman may qualify as a distinct
population segment.
We will base our finding on a review of the best scientific and
commercial information available, including all information received
during the public comment period.
You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods
listed in the ADDRESSES section. We will not accept comments you send
by e-mail or fax.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that we will post your entire comment--including your personal
identifying information--on http://www.regulations.gov. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting
documentation we used in preparing this 90-day finding, will be
available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov, or by
appointment, during normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Division of Scientific Authority (see previous
section: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Background
We received a petition from the Government of Argentina dated
November 5, 2007, requesting that we reclassify the broad-snouted
caiman (Caiman latirostris) in Argentina from endangered to threatened.
The petition contained detailed information about the natural history
and biology of the broad-snouted caiman, including the species' current
status and distribution.
The broad-snouted caiman is a medium-sized crocodilian reaching no
more than 2 meters (6.6 feet) in total length at maturity. Species
distribution includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and
northern Uruguay. The species is found mostly in freshwater marsh,
swamp, and mangrove habitats. Recent surveys in Argentina indicate that
much of the original broad-snouted caiman's habitat remains, and
healthy wild populations have been located. Experimental caiman
ranching programs have proven successful, indicating that the
establishment of ranching programs could yield commercial-scale results
if properly managed.
On May 22, 1975, the Fund for Animals, Inc. (Fund) submitted a
request to the Service to list as endangered species 216 taxa of
animals and plants that were listed in Appendix I of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES, or Convention) and that did not already appear on the U.S.
Lists of Endangered Wildlife and Plants (Lists). The Fund contended
that signature and ratification of CITES by the United States was an
acknowledgment of the endangered status of these species and that they
therefore should appear on the Lists pursuant to the Act (40 FR 44329).
CITES is an international treaty for the conservation of wild fauna
and flora subject to trade; it was drafted in 1973 and had been
ratified by enough nations by 1975 to enter into force. The United
States ratified the treaty on September 13, 1973 (41 FR 24062; June 14,
1976). Accession to CITES is open to all nations that wish to reduce
the impact of international trade on wildlife and plants. CITES
includes three Appendices that list species meeting specific criteria.
Depending on the Appendix in which they are listed, species are subject
to permitting requirements intended to ensure that international trade
in them is legal and does not threaten their survival. Appendix-I
species are those that are threatened with extinction and which are, or
may be, affected by trade. Commercial trade in Appendix-I species is
strictly prohibited. On July 1, 1975, the date the Convention was
entered into force, Appendix I of the Convention included over 200
species, including the broad-snouted caiman.
As a result of the Fund's listing request, the Service published a
proposed rule on September 26, 1975: ``Proposed Endangered Status for
216 Species Appearing on Convention on International Trade'' (40 FR
44329). The proposed rule requested public comments regarding amendment
of the Lists through the addition of species included in CITES Appendix
I. On June 14, 1976, a final rule entitled ``Endangered Status for 159
Taxa of Animals'' was published in the Federal Register (41 FR 24062).
These species included some, but not all, of the Appendix-I species
that had been listed under CITES and whose listing under the Act had
been requested by the Fund. In 1976, the Convention had only been
ratified for one year, and ratification by additional member nations
was necessary for CITES to become a stronger international trade
measure. Until the number of Parties to CITES increased, however, the
commercial importance of the species that were determined to be
endangered in the listing rule and the inadequacy of existing
regulatory mechanisms to control international trade continued to be
factors of major concern. It was believed that the listing action was
imperative, to provide an interim regulatory mechanism to restrict U.S.
trade in listed species and, ultimately, as a supportive measure to
further address the conservation purposes of CITES.
The broad-snouted caiman is currently listed in Appendix I of
CITES, range-wide except in Argentina (http://www.cites.org). The
Argentine population was downlisted to Appendix II in 1997, with
support from the United States. In addition, under CITES Resolution
11.12: Universal Tagging System for the Identification of Crocodilian
Skins, all crocodilian skins must be affixed with a non-reusable tag
from the country of origin prior to entering international trade
(http://www.cites.org). Tagging crocodilian skins allows individual
countries to track quotas, prevent illegal trade, and ensure that
annual take is not detrimental to the survival of the species. Through
a system of permits, the CITES Appendix-II listing allows international
trade in Argentine broad-snouted caiman parts and products throughout
the world, with one exception: Trade in Argentine broad-snouted caiman
specimens is prohibited in the United States because the species is
listed as endangered (41 FR 24062; June 14, 1976) under section 4 of
the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
With this petition, the Government of Argentina requests
reclassification of the species from endangered to threatened in their
country only, because populations are healthy, habitat remains
plentiful, and caiman ranching programs have proven successful.
Reclassification of the species may allow the establishment of trade in
ranched specimens of broad-snouted
[[Page 33970]]
caimans from Argentina to the United States and re-export from other
CITES Parties.
Finding
On the basis of the information provided in the petition, we have
determined that the petition presents substantial scientific and
commercial information that reclassifying the broad-snouted caiman from
endangered to threatened in Argentina may be warranted. Therefore, we
are initiating a status review to determine if reclassification of the
species is warranted. To ensure that the status review is
comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information
regarding this species. Under section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act, we are
required to make a finding as to whether reclassification of the broad-
snouted caiman is warranted within 12-months of receipt of the
petition.
Author
The primary author of this document is Marie T. Maltese of the
Division of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see
ADDRESSES section).
Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: June 4, 2008.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8-13162 Filed 6-13-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P