Federal Register/Vol. 65, No. 87/Thursday, May 4, 2000/Rules
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Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 25867 List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73 CITES Universal Tagging System on June 2, 1970 (35 FR 8495). (At the Television broadcasting, Digital Resolution for crocodilian skins time of the original listing, Peru was television broadcasting. (adopted at the ninth meeting of the incorrectly listed as one of the range Conference of the Parties) as well as countries, whereas Paraguay was Federal Communications Commission. provisions intended to support excluded. In this final rule, we correct Magalie Roman Salas, sustainable management of wild that situation.) On July 1, 1975, it was Secretary. populations of the above three caiman also placed in Appendix II of the [FR Doc. 00±11099 Filed 5±3±00; 8:45 am] species/subspecies. In the case where Convention on International Trade in BILLING CODE 6712±01±P tagged caiman skins and other parts are Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and exported to another country, usually for FloraÐCITES (42 FR 10465). (The tanning and manufacturing purposes, species has never been listed in CITES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR and the processed skins and finished Appendix I, which prohibits products are exported to the United international trade in the species if such Fish and Wildlife Service States, the rule prohibits importation or activity is conducted for primarily re-exportation of such skins, parts, and commercial purposes and/or 50 CFR Part 17 products if we determine that either the determined to be detrimental to the RIN 1018±AD67 country of origin or re-export is survival of the species.) The endangered engaging in practices that are listing under the Act prohibited imports Endangered and Threatened Wildlife detrimental to the conservation of and re-exports of the species into/from and Plants; Reclassification of Yacare caiman populations. the United States. However, the Caiman in South America From The purpose of this rule is threefold. Appendix II listing allows for regulated Endangered to Threatened, and the First, the rule accurately reflects the commercial trade elsewhere in the Listing of Two Other Caiman Species conservation status of the yacare world, based on certain findings. As a as Threatened by Reason of Similarity caiman. Second, we wish to promote the result, a substantial U.S. law of Appearance conservation of the yacare caiman by enforcement problem has occurred ensuring proper management of the because of the different listing status AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, commercially harvested caiman species under the Act and under CITES. Imports Interior. in the range countries and, through and re-exports of yacare caiman into/ ACTION: Final rule. implementation of trade controls (as from the United States without an ESA described in the CITES Universal SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife permit are prohibited under the Act, Service (Service) is reclassifying the Tagging System Resolution), to reduce including shipments originating from yacare caiman (Caiman yacare; also commingling of caiman specimens. countries of origin with valid CITES known as Caiman crocodilus yacare) Third, downlisting of C. yacare to export documents. However, imports from its present endangered status to threatened reconciles listings of the and re-exports of products from the threatened status under the Endangered species in the Act and CITES. common and brown caimans are legal, Species Act because the current EFFECTIVE DATE: This final rule is when accompanied by appropriate endangered listing does not correctly effective on June 5, 2000. CITES documents. Since products reflect the present status of this species. ADDRESSES: The complete file for this manufactured from the yacare caiman, The Service also is listing the common rule is available for public inspection by common caiman, and the brown caiman caiman (Caiman crocodilus crocodilus) appointment, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 are often indistinguishable as to species and the brown caiman (Caiman p.m., Monday through Friday, at the from which they are made, products crocodilus fuscus) as threatened by Office of Scientific Authority, 4401 N. from the prohibited yacare caiman are reason of similarity of appearance. Fairfax Dr., Room 750, Arlington, often commingled with products from Caiman yacare is native to Argentina, Virginia. non-prohibited taxa among commercial shipments into the United States. The Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Caiman FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. crocodilus crocodilus and C. c. fuscus unauthorized entry of prohibited yacare Javier Alvarez, Office of Scientific caiman products constitutes a violation occur in Mexico and Central and South Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife America. All three taxa are listed in of the Act, and if the yacare is legally Service, Mail Stop ARLSQ±750, protected in individual range countries, Appendix II of the Convention on Washington, DC 20240 (phone: 703± International Trade in Endangered then Lacey Act violations may also have 358±1708; fax: 703±358±2276; e-mail: occurred. Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [email protected]). (CITES), which allows for international Until relatively recently, Argentina, commercial trade in these species. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay prohibited Listing the two taxa as threatened by Note: Portions of the original proposed rule the export of caiman products (Brazaitis reason of similarity of appearance will were re-written to conform to the new in comments on the October 29, 1990, assist in protecting the yacare caiman by Federal policy on the use of ``plain English'' Federal Register notice [55 FR 43389]). in Federal documents. However, the original However, CITES Notification to the facilitating wildlife inspections of intent of the text remains the same. Text in shipments at the ports of entry and the proposed rule has also been amended in Parties No. 781, issued on March 10, detection of illegal shipments. this final rule in response to comments 1994, indicated that Brazil's CITES A special rule for these three caiman submitted by the public (see ``Comments Management Authority had registered populations allows U.S. commerce in Received'' below) and to coincide with the 75 ranching operations for producing their skins, other parts, and products CITES Universal Tagging System Resolution. skins of C. c. crocodilus and C. yacare. from individual countries of origin and These ranching operations were countries of re-export if certain Background established under provisions of Article conditions are satisfied by those The yacare caiman was listed as 6 B of Brazilian Wildlife Law No. 5.197, countries prior to exportation to the endangered throughout its entire range of November 3, 1967. Caiman yacare United States. These conditions largely under the predecessor of the from these Brazilian ranches were being pertain to the implementation of a Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973 legally traded in the international VerDate 27<APR>2000 20:27 May 03, 2000 Jkt 190000 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\04MYR1.SGM pfrm07 PsN: 04MYR1 25868 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 87 / Thursday, May 4, 2000 / Rules and Regulations marketplace, except into the United crocodilus crocodilus, or C. c. fuscus interpretation that ``Caiman yacare, C. c. States. Paraguay and Bolivia have also specimens from intermediary countries crocodilus, and C. c. chiapasius expressed an interest in the legal that do not properly control trade in (probably C. c. fuscus) are each international marketing of C. yacare crocodilian skins, other parts, and phylogenetic species, as per the criteria skins, and restricted legal hunts are products. of Davis and Nixon (1992)'' (Brazaitis et currently allowed (see below). This rule reclassifies the yacare al. 1997a, Brazaitis et al. 1997b). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service caiman (Caiman yacare = C. crocodilus However, recent work by Busack and (Service) recognizes that substantial yacare) from endangered to threatened Pandya (1996) suggests that C. c. populations of crocodilians that are status under the Act and lists two crocodilus and C. c. fuscus comprise a managed as a sustainable resource can additional taxa, the common caiman (C. single genetic population at the be utilized for commercial purposes c. crocodilus) and the brown caiman (C. subspecies level, while confirming that while not adversely affecting the c. fuscus including C. crocodilus the yacare caiman is a distinct survival of individual populations of the chiapasius), as threatened by reason of subspecies, C. c. yacare. Currently, no species, when scientifically based similarity of appearance. When traded biochemical evidence indicates that management plans are implemented. as skin pieces and products, the yacare recognizable subgroups of C. yacare When certain positive conservation caiman is similar in appearance to the occur within its distributional limits in conditions have been met, the Service common caiman and the brown caiman, the river systems of Argentina, Bolivia, has acted to allow utilization and trade which are listed as CITES Appendix II Brazil, or Paraguay (Brazaitis et al. from managed populations of the species but are not listed in the Act. 1993), and, therefore, no such subgroups American alligator (Alligator Other caiman species will be retained as are recognized in this rule. mississippiensis), the importation of endangered under the Act, including the commercial shipments of Nile crocodile black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) and Comments Received (Crocodylus