Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 12-Month Finding on a Petition to List Gulf of Alaska Chinook Salmon as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act

Abstract

We, NMFS, announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list one or more Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) of Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In response to the petition submitted by Wild Fish Conservancy, the Status Review Team (SRT) completed a review of the status of GOA Chinook salmon and defined three ESUs for GOA Chinook salmon (Southeast, Central, and Northwest GOA). Based on the best scientific and commercial data available, including the Status Review Report written by the SRT, we conclude that the three ESUs of GOA Chinook salmon are not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges nor likely to become so within the foreseeable future. Therefore, we find that listing any of the ESUs of GOA Chinook salmon under the ESA is not warranted at this time.