NOAA: Five Sawfish Species Protected Under the Endangered Species Act

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 224

[Docket No 101004485-4999-03]
RIN 0648-XZ50

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;

Final Endangered Listing of Five Species of Sawfish Under the Endangered Species Act

AGENCY : National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION : Final rule.

SUMMARY :

We, NMFS, issue this final rule implementing our determination that the narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata), dwarf sawfish  (Pristis clavata), largetooth sawfish (collectively Pristis pristis; formerly Pristis pristis, Pristis microdon, and Pristis perotteti), green sawfish (Pristis zijsron), and the non-U.S. distinct population  segment (DPS) of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) are endangered  species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. We  also include a change in the scientific name for largetooth sawfish in  this final rule to codify the taxonomic reclassification of P.  perotteti to P. pristis. We are not designating critical habitat  because the geographical areas occupied by the species are entirely  outside U.S. jurisdiction and we have not identified any unoccupied  areas within U.S. jurisdiction that are essential to the conservation  of any of the five species. We have reviewed the status of the five  species of sawfish, considered public and peer review comments, and  conservation efforts being made to protect all five species, and we  have made our determination based on the best available scientific and  commercial data that all five species of sawfish–the narrow sawfish  (Anoxypristis cuspidata), dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata), largetooth  sawfish (collectively Pristis pristis; formerly Pristis pristis,  Pristis microdon, and Pristis perotteti), green sawfish (Pristis  zijsron), and the non-U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)–are at risk of extinction throughout all of their ranges and should be listed as endangered species.

DATES: This final rule is effective January 12, 2015.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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