Steller Sea Lions at a haulout
Because of a large population decline, Steller sea lions were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1990, and the western population of sea lions was listed as endangered in 1997. There does not appear to have been a single cause for the decline, and a number of factors may have been involved, including but not limited to intentional shooting, disease, ecosystem change, and competition with fisheries. With the initial ESA listing, fishery managers began to explore and implement actions to minimize potential impacts caused by fisheries in the region. Interactions of sea lions with fisheries may occur through competition, disturbance, and direct and incidental mortality. Because fish are prey for Steller sea lions, fishery regulations have focused on reducing potential effects of competition, and minimizing localized depletion of their prey. Studies have shown that major food items for Steller sea lions include pollock, Pacific cod, Atka mackerel, salmon, and octopus, as well as squid and capelin prior to 1978.
To reduce potential effects of fisheries on Steller sea lions, the Council and NOAA Fisheries have implemented many measures over the years. In October 2001, following a federal court order for NOAA and the Council to further justify the fishery management program’s impacts to Steller sea lions, a comprehensive and stringent suite of fishery management measures was developed by the Council’s Reasonable and Prudent Alternative Committee (later replaced by the Steller Sea Lion Mitigation Committee) to minimize potential competition for prey between fisheries and the endangered western stock of Steller sea lions.
In 2013, NMFS published a Final Rule to remove the eastern DPS of Steller sea lion from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. As a result of the delisting, critical habitat for the western DPS is now being reconsidered by NMFS. Information about critical habitat is available from the NMFS Alaska Region website.
Staff contact is Sarah Rheinsmith 907-271-3235.
2014 Steller Sea Lion Biological Opinion
Section 7 Consultation Biological Opinion – Authorization of Alaska groundfish fisheries under the Proposed Revised Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures, April 2014
2013 Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures EIS
- SSL EIS Council Motion 10/13 Draft Comment Analysis Report, and Letter from NMFS 10/13
- NMFS Protected Resources documents on BiOp methods: AFSC Prey Field Analyses, Estimating Abundance Trends, NMML memo on analysis methods, Analytical Approach, PPA Review 6/13
- Steller Sea Lion Draft EIS motion 6/13
- More Information 5/13
- Dear Reviewer Letter, Executive Summary
- Volume 1 – Executive Summary and Chapters 1-7
- Volume 2 – Chapters 8-12
- SSL motion, SSL Preliminary Preferred Alternative 4/13
- Errata to the EIS, 4/13
- Comparison of SSL EIS Alternatives 2/13
- Steller sea lion motion, alternatives 12/12
- SSL Scoping Report 12/12
- Steller sea lion issues motion 10/12
2010 Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures Biological Opinion
- 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on 2010 Biological Opinion (7/13)
- 2010 BSAI Groundfish Biological Opinion
- Chris Oliver Testimony to the Committee On Natural Resources, Washington DC, 12/1/2011, hearing transcript
- SSL Biological Opinion Briefing, power point 10/10
- Special August 2010 Meeting:
- AGENDA, Newsletter – MINUTES
- SSL Presentations: NMFS’ presentation on the BiOp; BiOp Supporting documents
- SSL motion 8/10; AP Minutes, SSC Minutes
- SSL BIOP NPFMC Letter to NMFS 2/10
- SSL Biop update 2/10
Reviews
- NMFS Protected Resources documents on BiOp methods: AFSC Prey Field Analyses, Estimating Abundance Trends, NMML memo on analysis methods, Analytical Approach, PPA Review 6/13
- CIE Reviews: Bowen, Stewart, Stokes 10/12
- In 2011 the States of Alaska and Washington commissioned a review of the BiOp. The review was released in July 2011.
The Archives page contains previous Biological Opinions, SSL research reports, Council actions and other documents.
