NOAA: Bigeye and common thresher shark not warranted for Endangered Species Act listing

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Docket No. 141219999–6234–02]
RIN 0648–XD680

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Notice of 12-Month Finding on Petitions to List the Common Thresher Shark and Bigeye Thresher Shark as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

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

ACTION: Notice of 12-month finding and availability of status review report.

SUMMARY: NMFS has completed comprehensive status reviews under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for two species of thresher shark in response to petitions to list those species. These species are the common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) and the bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus). Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, including the status review report (Young et al., 2015), and after taking into account efforts being made to protect these species, we have determined that the common thresher (A. vulpinus) and bigeye thresher (A. superciliosus) do not warrant listing at this time. We conclude that neither species is currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range nor likely to become so within the foreseeable future.

DATES: This finding was made on April 1, 2016.

Supplement publications:

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 63: PDF DOWNLOAD

Status Review of the common and bigeye thresher sharks – 03/2016: PDF DOWNLOAD

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