Federal Register/Vol. 63, No. 184/Wednesday, September 23
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50850 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 184 / Wednesday, September 23, 1998 / Proposed Rules approval if a satisfactory parent DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR either the country of export or the company or similar guarantee is country or countries of re-export are provided? Fish and Wildlife Service engaging in practices that are (6) Any other aspect of this issue. detrimental to the conservation of 50 CFR Part 17 caiman populations. By Order of the Maritime Administrator. RIN 1018±AD67 The purpose of the special proposed Dated: September 18, 1998. rule is twofold. One is to promote the Joel C. Richard, Endangered and Threatened Wildlife conservation of the yacare caiman by Secretary. and Plants; Proposed Reclassification ensuring proper management of the of Yacare Caiman in South America commercially harvested caiman species [FR Doc. 98±25408 Filed 9±22±98; 8:45 am] From Endangered to Threatened, and in the range countries and through BILLING CODE 4910±81±P the Listing of Two Other Caiman implementation of trade controls as Species as Threatened by Reason of described in the CITES tagging Similarity of Appearance resolution to reduce commingling of caiman specimens. The rule is also AGENCY: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service, intended to relieve the burden on U.S. Interior. law enforcement personnel who must Fish and Wildlife Service ACTION: Proposed rule. screen difficult to distinguish caiman 50 CFR Part 17 SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife products to exclude products from Service (Service) proposes to reclassify endangered or improperly identified Endangered and Threatened Wildlife the yacare (Caiman yacare also known species from U.S. commerce. and Plants; Reopening of Comment as Caiman crocodilus yacare) from its DATES: Comments from all interested Period on 90-Day Finding and present endangered status to threatened parties must be received by December Commencement of Status Review for a status under the Endangered Species 22, 1998. Public hearing requests must Petition To List the Westslope Act (Act) because the endangered listing be received by November 9, 1998. Cutthroat Trout as Threatened; does not correctly reflect the present ADDRESSES: Comments, information, Correction status of this animal. The Service also and questions should be submitted to proposes to list the common caiman the Chief, Office of Scientific Authority; AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, (Caiman crocodilus crocodilus) and the Mail Stop: Room 750, Arlington Square; Interior. brown caiman (Caiman crocodilus 4401 North Fairfax Drive; U.S. Fish and fuscus) as threatened by reason of Wildlife Service, Arlington, Virginia ACTION: Proposed rule; correction. similarity of appearance. The yacar is 22203. Fax number (703) 358±2276. native to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Comments and other information SUMMARY: In document 98±21995 and Bolivia, and the other two caiman received will be available for public beginning on page 43901 in the issue of occur in Mexico and Central and South inspection, by appointment, from 8:00 Monday, August 17, 1998, make the America. These three taxa are listed in a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through following corrections: Appendix II of the Convention on Friday, at the Arlington, Virginia, On page 43902, at the end of the first International Trade in Endangered address. paragraph in the second column, insert Species of Wild Fauna and Flora FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. the following sentence: ``However, in (CITES). Listing the two taxa as Susan Lieberman, Chief, Office of accordance with the current Service threatened by reason of similarity of Scientific Authority, at the above Listing Priority Guidance (63 FR 25502, appearance will assist in protecting the address, by phone at (703) 358±1708, or  May 8, 1998) the Service will require 9 yacare caiman from uncontrolled use. by E-mail at: A special rule is also proposed for [email protected]. months from the date of the finding these three species that would allow (June 10, 1998) to complete a thorough SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: U.S. commerce in caiman skins, other biological status review and issue a 12- parts and products from individual Background month finding.'' countries of origin and countries of re- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service On page 43902, third column, in the export if certain pre-trade conditions are (Service) recognizes that substantial third sentence of the first full paragraph, satisfied for those countries. The several populations of crocodilians that are the word ``not'' should be changed to conditions largely pertain to the managed as a sustainable resource can ``now.'' implementation of a CITES resolution be utilized for commercial purposes on the universal tagging of crocodilian while not adversely affecting the Dated: September 15, 1998. skins (adopted at the ninth meeting of survival of individual populations of the Terry Terrell, the Conference of the Parties) as well as species. When certain positive Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado. conditions complementing the intent of conservation conditions have been met, [FR Doc. 98±25250 Filed 9±22±98; 8:45 am] this resolution and provisions to the Service has acted to allow BILLING CODE 4310±55±P support the sufficiency of management utilization and trade from managed of yacar populations so that populations populations of the American alligator will be sustained through time. (Alligator mississippiensis), and has In the case where tagged caiman skins allowed the importation of commercial and other parts are exported to a second shipments of Nile crocodile (Crocodylus country, usually for tanning and niloticus) skins, other parts, and manufacturing purposes, and the products from several southern and processed skins and finished products eastern African countries and similar are exported to the United States, the shipments of saltwater crocodile United States will prohibit imports of (Crocodylus porosus) specimens from skins and products if it determines that Australia (61 FR 32356; June 24, 1996). Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 184 / Wednesday, September 23, 1998 / Proposed Rules 50851 Management activities were reviewed the broad-snouted caiman (Caiman and no such subgroups are recognized by the CITES Parties prior to latirostris). This proposed rule does not in this proposed rule. transferring certain populations from affect the endangered or threatened Since the initial listing of the yacare CITES Appendix I to Appendix II status, under the Act, of any other caiman, there has been controversy (thereby allowing commercial trade) and crocodilian species in the Western associated with defining the ranges of included assessments of population Hemisphere. caiman species, especially that of C. status, determination of sustainable The original listing for the yacar yacare in southern South America. To harvest quotas (or approval of ranching caiman (under the provisions of the assist in the clarification of the status of programs), and the control of the illegal Endangered Species Conservation Act of C. yacareÂ, the CITES Secretariat, in harvest. Management regulations 1969) was C. yacare, which is the conjunction with the World imposed after harvest included the presently accepted taxonomic name for Conservation Union/Species Survival tagging of skins and issuance of permits the species (King and Burke 1989) and Commission (IUCN/SSC) Crocodile to satisfy the requirements for CITES the name used throughout this proposed Specialist Group (CSG), undertook a Appendix II species. rule. Some authors treat the taxon as a survey (starting in late 1986 and early The Service is also proposing a subspecies, C. c. yacare, and this is the 1987) and the development of a special rule with this proposed rule to taxonomic name presently included in conservation program for the ensure implementation of the CITES the List of Endangered and Threatened crocodilians of the genus Caiman. These controls over trade in skins, parts, and Wildlife (50 CFR part 17.11). King surveys were conducted under the products of certain populations of the believes (in litt.) that C. yacare should auspices of CITES and were carried out genus Caiman. Populations of Caiman be considered biologically as a by the CSG, and the Governments of spp. are widespread in Mexico and subspecies or at the end of a Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The Central and South America, and have morphological cline, but indicates that available data from these studies high reproductive potential; indeed, the nomenclaturally it is recognized as a (Brazaitis 1989A; Brazaitis et al. 1990; species have survived in spite of a past full species. King and VõÂdez Roca 1989; and Scott et substantial legal and illegal harvests. al. 1988 and 1990) on the distribution, A recent study, including an analysis The Service believes that commercial ecology, and status of C. yacare indicate of mitochondrial DNA variation, utilization of yacar caiman should that this species is not endangered in its indicates that the C. yacare of involve trade from controlled harvest entirety and is not in danger of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay only from well managed populations, extinction in any significant portion of and that trade controls need to be comprise an taxonomic unit with its range. effective in order to protect threatened substantial genetic, morphological, and Caiman yacare is widely distributed crocodilian populations. If this zoogeographical similarities (Brazaitis et throughout the lowland areas and river proposed rule and its