Olympic Peninsula Steelhead Petition Moves Forward to Comprehensive Review

“the petition presented “substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.”

Photo by John McMillan

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced on February 10th that it would begin a status review to determine whether imperiled Olympic Peninsula steelhead should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The agency’s decision came in response to an August 2022 petition filed by The Conservation Angler and Wild Fish Conservancy.

Olympic Peninsula steelhead populations have been in serious decline due to habitat, harvest and hatchery impacts. Long term trends   and the species is already recognized as a candidate species by National Marine Fisheries Service.

NOAA’s “90-day finding” under the Act determined that the conservation group’s petition presented “substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.”

This is just the first procedural step to improve the species’ survival prospects by increasing awareness, generating funds for important science, and providing financial, legal, political, and enforcement assistance to local, state, and Tribal conservation efforts. NOAA has opened a 60-day comment period soliciting public input; our organizations will continue to ensure the strongest possible scientific support is submitted to the agency.

“Olympic Peninsula steelhead received a Valentines gift from NMFS,” said David A. Moskowitz, executive director for The Conservation Angler. “An eventual listing will prompt local, state and tribal cooperation to protect Washington’s State Fish – as steelhead are beloved by many – but are threatened with the risk of extinction from human-caused threats to habitat and from harvest and hatchery practices.”

Olympic Peninsula steelhead, once Washington’s crown jewel in the steelhead world, have been declining for decades and are threatened by multiple human activities. These steelhead are found in Olympic Peninsula Rivers south of the Elwha and north of Grays Harbor. Scientists estimate that some steelhead rivers have lost more than two-thirds of their former abundance and are extremely low in more than half of the rivers formerly home to tens of thousands of wild fish.  These steelhead are threatened with a high risk of near-term extinction in the wild.

Screenshot of WDFW Presentation Slide - 2022

Comprehensive measures and regulations aimed at protecting OP Steelhead are woefully inadequate. “It is critical that we act now to make sure that Olympic Peninsula steelhead do not decline more deeply than they already have – it is time to rebuild and restore these steelhead – and not let them slip towards extinction because we are not affording them adequate protection.” said Emma Helverson, executive director of the Wild Fish Conservancy.

After the status review, NOAA will issue a 12-month petition finding, which will determine whether the agency will propose Olympic Peninsula steelhead for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

If you have specific and credible information on the status, distribution, diversity, abundance or risks faced by wild steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula, you should file written comments with NOAA no later than April 11, 2023.