SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The subject modification to Permit No. 20528-03, issued on February 28, 2022 (87 FR 22193, April 14, 2022) is requested under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).

Permit No. 20528-03 authorizes the permit holder to conduct research on Atlantic ( Acipenser oxyrinchus) and shortnose ( A. brevirostrum) sturgeon to determine their presence, status, health, habitat use, and movements in South Carolina waters. Researchers may use gill nets to capture Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon to measure, weigh, passive integrated transponder tag (PIT), dart tag, tissue sample, acoustically tag, fin ray sample, gonad biopsy, and photograph prior to release. A subset of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon may receive internal acoustic transmitters. Early life stages of each species may be lethally sampled to document occurrence of spawning in systems. Up to two sturgeon of each species may unintentionally die annually during sampling activities. The permit holder requests authorization in the Edisto River to: (1) increase the number of adult/subadult shortnose sturgeon to be captured, PIT tagged, dart tagged, biologically sampled (tissue sample, fin ray sample), measured, weighed, and photographed prior to release from 10 to 75, annually, and (2) increase the number of juvenile shortnose sturgeon to be captured, PIT tagged, dart tagged, biologically sampled (tissue sample, fin ray sample), measured, weighed, and photographed prior to release from 10 to 20, annually, to accommodate research efforts. The permit is valid through March 31, 2027.