Steller Sea Lion (west of 144º)
(Eumetopias jubatus)
Policy Actions
1990
- National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issues an emergency rule (PDF 968 kB) listing the Steller sea lion as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and establishes emergency protective measures
- NMFS places Steller sea lions on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (PDF 394 kB) for 240 days in order to implement an emergency determination of threatened status
- NMFS proposes listing the Steller sea lion as threatened under the ESA (PDF 1,230 kB) with similar protective measures to those in the emergency rule
- NMFS lists the Steller sea lion as threatened throughout its range under the ESA (PDF 1,444 kB) and establishes protective measures similar to those in the emergency rule
- NMFS permanently adds the Steller sea lion to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (PDF 256 kB)
1993
- NMFS proposes critical habitat for the Steller sea lion (PDF 990 kB)
- NMFS designates critical habitat for the Steller sea lion in Alaska, Oregon, and California (PDF 1,351 kB)
1995
- NMFS proposes re-classifying Steller sea lions as two distinct population segments (PDF 80 kB) and listing the western segment as endangered under the ESA and maintaining the threatened status in the eastern segment
1997
- NMFS reclassifies Steller sea lions as two distinct populations and lists the western population as endangered under the ESA (PDF 83 kB)
- The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reclassifies the Steller sea lion western population segment as endangered (PDF 19 kB) and keeps the remaining population segment threatened on the List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife
2003
- NMFS passes Steller sea lion protective measures for the groundfish fisheries off Alaska (PDF 713 kB)
2010
- NMFS initiates a 5-year review for the eastern population of Steller sea lion (PDF 52 kB)
- NMFS Draft Alaska Groundfish Fisheries Biological Opinion (PDF 14,351 kB) regarding the groundfish fisheries interactions with Steller Sea Lions
- State of Alaska petitions NMFS to remove the Eastern Steller sea lion from the threatened species list (PDF 100 kB)
- State of Alaska comments on the NMFS Draft Biological Opinion (PDF 239 kB)
- NMFS determines the State of Alaska petition is warranted, and initiates a Status Review to determine if the Eastern DPS of the Steller sea lion should be delisted (PDF 148 kB)
2011
- ADF&G submits information to NMFS to assist with the Status Review of the Eastern DPS of the Steller sea lion (PDF 404 kB)
- ADF&G submits comments on the NMFS interim final rule to implement protections for the Western DPS of the Steller sea lion for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island groundfish fisheries (PDF 443 kB)