NOAA Fisheries declared Wednesday that the Washington coast population of chinook salmon does not warrant federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.
While acknowledging some ongoing threats to the species, NOAA Fisheries determined that it is neither threatened nor endangered.
“Recent information on fall-run chinook salmon abundance showed that 19 monitored populations had relatively stable abundances over the 15-year period evaluated,” the federal agency reported, adding that the population stability has endured despite “relatively high harvest rates.”
Advertisement
In an assessment supported by a panel of peer reviewers, NOAA Fisheries also reported that the species exists across “numerous, well-distributed spawning populations.”
