A lawsuit filed against National Marine Fisheries Service by a Seattle conservation entity alleging failure to comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is drawing sharp barbs from the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and Alaska Marine Conservation Council.
The Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC), which announced the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage on May 8, contends that NOAA Fisheries has failed to meet essential legal deadlines under the ESA and delayed federal protections to at-risk Alaskan Chinook salmon. Those kings are experiencing chronic declines throughout streams flowing into the Gulf of Alaska – threatening the health of ecosystems, Indigenous cultural practices and food security, as well as local economies and communities that depend on wild salmon, according to Emma Helverson, executive director of the WFC.
Under the ESA, NOAA had 12 months, ending on Jan. 11, to review the data on Gulf of Alaska kings and determine whether “threatened” or “endangered” status is warranted, Halverson said. The litigation was filed against NOAA for allegedly missing this legally required deadline and further delaying protections for declining Chinook populations that may be at risk of extinction, the lawsuit contends.
Halverson also contends that her organization has heard from Alaska harvesters, Indigenous people and the general public that depends on Gulf of Alaska king salmon and are frustrated by the state’s inaction.
The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and Alaska Marine Conservation Council disagree.
“The National Marine Fisheries Service is conducting a thorough and science-based status review of Alaska’s salmon stocks in response to the ESA petition filed by this litigious group,” said Linda Behnken, executive director of ALFA. “Since WFC does not work in Alaska, it may not be aware that Alaska is exceptionally large with over 19,000 rivers or streams that support salmon. An accurate ESA status review takes time – especially when NMFS is dealing with budget cuts and staff reductions imposed by the current administration. Filing yet another lawsuit will only divert NMFS staff from working on the status review.”
Salmon is managed by the state of Alaska for sustained yield – restricting harvest to ensure spawning stocks for the future. Alaska is the only state in the country with sustainable fisheries management written into its constitution and Alaska fishermen are equally committed to responsible fisheries management and sustainable harvest, ALFA noted.
ALFA board member and salmon harvester Jeff Farvour noted that salmon in Alaska are under pressure from climate change, ocean acidification and habitat damage in the Lower 48.
“While salmon habitat in Alaska is largely intact, some salmon that summer off Alaska are suffering from habitat damage, including dams in the Columbia River Basin and industrial pollutants and urbanization in Wild Fish Conservancy’s own backyard, Puget Sound,” Farvour said.
He suggested that working with fishermen and communities in Alaska to address these challenges to salmon would show a real commitment to the future of these fish.
“The Wild Fish Conservancy’s petition to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook as endangered is riddled with inaccuracies and insufficient research, failing to capture the full scope of salmon management in Alaska and the specific, hyperlocal needs of these salmon populations,” said Michelle Stratton, a fisheries scientist and executive director of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. “The state already has systems in place to support Chinook salmon recovery, and what’s truly needed is increased funding for a robust rehabilitation program that prioritizes habitat restoration, scientific monitoring, and sustainable fisheries practices tailored to individual runs.”
