Summary: The National Marine Fisheries Service has officially rejected a petition from animal extremists to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon under the Endangered Species Act, a major victory supported by the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation.
In a win for sportsmen, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently announced a not warranted finding on a petition from animal extremists asking to list Chinook salmon in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (SAF) advocated for petition denial and welcomes the recent conclusion that “GOA Chinook salmon are not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges nor likely to become so within the foreseeable future.”
SAF Applauds the Use of Sound Science in Federal Decision
“SAF had significant concerns about the wide-sweeping impacts of the potential listing of GOA Chinook salmon as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA, which led us to submit extensive comments,” said Torin Miller, Associate Litigation Counsel at SAF. “SAF strongly agrees with NMFS’ conclusion that listing these Chinook as endangered is currently not warranted.”
Background on the Wild Fish Conservancy Petition
NMFS received a petition submitted by the Wild Fish Conservancy in January 2024. The petition asked NMFS to list Chinook salmon, or any evolutionarily significant unit that may exist in the petitioned area, as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA and to designate critical habitat concurrent with the listing. The ESA gives NMFS 90 days to make an initial finding on the petition, and in May of 2024, it issued a positive 90-day finding. That positive finding meant that NMFS found “the petition . . . presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.” A positive 90-day finding opened the door for a more in-depth 12-month finding to determine final recommendations for southeast Alaska Chinook salmon.
Flaws and Omissions in the Extremist Petition
Among other flaws, the petition misrepresented or omitted information on aggressive and successful regulatory protections and conservation activities historically and currently implemented by the state of Alaska. Additionally, the petitioners failed to provide a complete and balanced representation of relevant facts, and “the petition contained numerous factual errors, omissions, incomplete references, and unsupported assertions and conclusions.”
Science and Statute Prevail Over Ideology
In arriving at this finding, NMFS reviewed the best scientific and commercial information available, including the petition, public comments, and various reports and published and unpublished information. NMFS correctly let science and statute guide the listing process – not emotion or ideology. In doing so, NMFS rightly concluded that petitioned stocks of GOA Chinook “do not meet the definition of an endangered or threatened species and do not warrant listing under the ESA.”
Preparing for Potential Legal Challenges
While we’re applauding the not warranted finding, we fully anticipate that the petitioners will challenge the finding in court in the coming months. SAF is ready and able to defend the scientifically and statutorily backed finding in the courts, and we’re actively preparing to do so.
Issues like these are at the heart of the Sportsmen’s Alliance mission, and we will continue to monitor this important issue. Don’t stand on the sidelines – join us as a member or a donate to the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund to protect tomorrow’s hunting, fishing, and trapping heritage, today.
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