Service Announces Proposal to List the Salmon-crested Cockatoo as Threatened under Endangered Species Act
Tamara Ward
703/358-2512
tamara_ward@fws.gov
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50 CFR Part 17
[Docket No. FWS-R9-IA-2009-0056]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Salmon-Crested Cockatoo as Threatened Throughout Its Range with Special Rule
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) as threatened, with a special rule, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This proposal, if made final, would extend the Act's protections to this species and amend the regulations at 50 CFR part 17
to create a special rule under authority of section 4(d) of the Act that provides measures that are necessary and advisable for the conservation of the salmon-crested cockatoo. The Service seeks data and comments from the public on this proposed listing and special rule.
DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before February 1, 2010. We must receive requests for public hearings, in writing, at the address shown in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section by December 18, 2009.
The proposed special rule would, if adopted, allow import and export of certain salmon-crested cockatoos and interstate commerce of this species without a permit under the Act.
Comments may be submitted at the Federal eRulemaking Portal, http://www.regulations.gov. (Follow the instructions on the Web page for submitting comments). To deliver written comments by U.S. mail or hand-delivery, address to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R9-IA-2009-0028; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. All comments except anonymous comments will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov. Comments, along with personal identifying information such as an address, telephone number, email address or other personal identifying information will be posted along with your comments.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a proposal to protect the salmon-crested cockatoo of Indonesia as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). If made final, the measure would extend ESA protection to this species. The measure was published in the November 3, 2009, Federal Register.
The salmon-crested cockatoo (also known as the Seram, Moluccan, pink-crested, or rose-crested cockatoo) is the largest and the most striking of Indonesia’s white cockatoos. The cockatoo is believed to prefer habitat consisting of primary lowland forests and flat or gently sloping terrain.
The proposed special rule for the salmon-crested cockatoo, in most instances, adopts the existing conservation regulatory requirements of CITES and the WBCA as the appropriate regulatory provisions for the import and export of certain captive salmon-crested cockatoos. It would also allow interstate commerce. However, import and export of birds taken from the wild after January 18, 1990, take, and foreign commerce will need to meet the requirements of 50 CFR 17.31 and 17.32. ``Take'' under the Act includes both harm and harass. When applied to captive wildlife, take does not include generally accepted animal husbandry practices, breeding procedures, or provisions of veterinary care for confining, tranquilizing, or anesthetizing, when such practices, procedures, or provisions are not likely to result in injury to the wildlife. When conducting an activity that could take or incidentally take wildlife, a permit under the Act is required.
Interstate commerce. Under the proposed special rule, a person may deliver, receive, carry, transport, ship, sell, offer to sell, purchase, or offer to purchase a salmon-crested cockatoo in interstate commerce. Although we do not have current data, we believe there are a large number of salmon-crested cockatoos in the United States. Current ISIS (International Species Information System) information shows 123 salmon-crested cockatoos are held in U.S. zoos (ISIS 2008, p. 4). This number is an underestimate as some zoos do not enter data into the ISIS database. In addition, CITES annual report data shows that 58,484 salmon-crested cockatoos were imported into the United States between 1981 and 1989 (UNEP-WCMC 2009b, p. 2). We believe that a number of these birds are still held in captivity in the United States. In 1990 and 1991, surveys of captive breeding by U.S. aviculturists showed 820 and 625 salmon-crested cockatoos were held by 239 and 194 survey respondents, respectively (Allen & Johnson 1991, p. 17; Johnson 1992, p. 46). We have no information to suggest that interstate commerce activities are associated with threats to the salmon-crested cockatoo or will negatively affect any efforts aimed at the recovery of wild populations of the species. At the same time, the prohibitions on take under 50 CFR 17.31 would apply under this special rule, and any interstate commerce activities that could incidentally take cockatoos would require a permit under 50 CFR 17.32. Therefore, we find that it is not necessary or advisable for the conservation of the salmon- crested cockatoo to regulate interstate commerce of this species.
