Threatened Fish and Wildlife; Change in Listing Status of Steller Sea Lions Under the Endangered Species Act

Résumé

NMFS is proposing to reclassify the Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus. This species currently is listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) as threatened throughout its range, which extends from California and associated waters to Alaska, including the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands, and then into the Bering Sea and North Pacific and into Russian waters and territory. Based on biological information collected since the species was listed as threatened in 1990, NMFS now proposes to re-classify Steller sea lions as two distinct population segments under the ESA. NMFS proposes to classify the Steller sea lion population segment west of 144 deg. W. long. (a line near Cape Suckling, AK) as endangered, and to maintain the ESA threatened listing for the remainder of the U.S. population. NMFS is requesting public comments on this proposed action.