[Coral-List] U.S. declares bumphead parrotfish to not be endangered

Douglas Fenner douglasfennertassi at gmail.com
Mon Nov 12 23:16:17 EST 2012


NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) of NOAA (National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Administration) of the U.S. federal government, has
released its decision on the petition to have bumphead parrotfish declared
to be an endangered species, under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Their summary says:

"We, NMFS, announce a twelve-month finding and listing determination on a
petition to list the bumphead parrotfish (*Bolbometopon muricatum*) as
threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have
completed a status review of the bumphead parrotfish in response to the
petition submitted by WildEarth Guardians and considered the best
scientific and commercial data available. The bumphead parrotfish is a
coral reef-associated species that occurs in 45 countries in the
Indo-Pacific area, including some U.S. Territories. After reviewing the
best scientific and commercial data available, we have determined that the
bumphead parrotfish is not warranted for listing under the ESA because the
species still occupies its historical range, although at a lower and
declining abundance, but with biological characteristics and management
measures that support the population above the viability threshold. Based
on these considerations, described in more detail in this notice, we
conclude that the bumphead parrotfish is not currently in danger of
extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, and not likely
to become so within the foreseeable future."

The Federal Register notice gives considerable more details:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/11/07/2012-27244/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-notice-of-12-month-finding-on-a-petition-to-list-the

To download the original petition, the status review (biological report)
and/or the management report, go to

http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/PRD/prd_esa_section_4.html

The status review and management report are the most detailed documents.

Cheers,  Doug Fenner  (who does not represent NMFS)

-- 
Dept. Marine & Wildlife Resources, American Samoan Government
PO Box 7390
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA


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