Fisheries managers must protect
and aid the recovery of the Steller sea lion under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) while providing for sustainable and
economically viable fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act — a difficult
balancing act.
Threats
Many
factors could impede the recovery of Steller sea lion
populations-incidental take in fisheries, illegal shooting,
predation, and certain diseases, as well as the effects
of climate change, contaminants, and indirect competition
from fishing. The National
Marine Mammal Laboratory, in collaboration with research
partners in the North Pacific, is conducting research to
determine how each of these factors may affect sea lion
recovery.
Current Management Actions
Regulatory Background
1990: Steller sea lion is listed as a threatened species
(55 FR 49204)
under the ESA due to substantial population declines.
1992: NMFS established no-trawl zones around sea lion breeding
grounds to protect them from adverse impacts from fishing
gear.
1993: Final rule established critical
habitats for Steller sea lions (58 FR 45269).
1997: The Steller sea lion was split into western and eastern
distinct population segments based on demographic and genetic
dissimilarities (62 FR 24345).
Due to its persistent decline, the western population
was reclassified as endangered under the ESA, and the increasing eastern population
remained classified as threatened.
2001-3: Regulations were enacted to manage Steller sea
lions' interactions with various groundfish fisheries. Click
here for more information on these regulations.
More Information
Key Documents
Protection
Measures for the Groundfish Fisheries Off Alaska (68 FR 204,
01/02/2003) |
