Fisheries managers must protect and aid the recovery of the Steller sea lion under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) while providing for sustainable and economically viable fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act — a difficult balancing act.

Threats

Many factors could impede the recovery of Steller sea lion populations-incidental take in fisheries, illegal shooting, predation, and certain diseases, as well as the effects of climate change, contaminants, and indirect competition from fishing. The National Marine Mammal Laboratory, in collaboration with research partners in the North Pacific, is conducting research to determine how each of these factors may affect sea lion recovery.

Current Management Actions

• Draft Revised Steller Sea Lion Recovery Plan: The Plan highlights three actions especially important to the recovery of the species:
  (1) maintain adequate fishery conservation measures.
  (2) implement a program to evaluate those measures.
  (3) continue population monitoring and research on key threats.
  
• Research Litigation - The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) vs. NMFS: On May 26, 2006, a U.S. District Court voided six Steller sea lion research permits and directed NMFS to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the impacts of the proposed research activities. On June 30, 2006, the court allowed limited research to go forward, in accordance with a settlement agreement. This research is limited to activities that do not involve capture or handling of animals and result in only minimal disturbance (such as aerial and vessel surveys and remote observations). NMFS is producing an EIS, expected to be finalized in summer 2007, which will allow permits to be issued and research to resume.

Regulatory Background

1990: Steller sea lion is listed as a threatened species (55 FR 49204) under the ESA due to substantial population declines.

1992: NMFS established no-trawl zones around sea lion breeding grounds to protect them from adverse impacts from fishing gear.

1993: Final rule established critical habitats for Steller sea lions (58 FR 45269).

1997: The Steller sea lion was split into western and eastern distinct population segments based on demographic and genetic dissimilarities (62 FR 24345). Due to its persistent decline, the western population was reclassified as endangered under the ESA, and the increasing eastern population remained classified as threatened.

2001-3: Regulations were enacted to manage Steller sea lions' interactions with various groundfish fisheries. Click here for more information on these regulations.

More Information

• NMFS Alaska Region and Science Center Information on Steller Sea Lions Website
• NMFS National Marine Mammal Laboratory Steller Sea Lion Research Website
• NMFS Steller Sea Lion Coordinate Research Program Website
• NMFS Environmental Impact Statement on Steller Sea Lion and Northern Fur Seal Research Website
• Marine Mammal Commission Steller Sea Lion Species Information Website

Key Documents

• Steller Sea Lion Projects Database Search Form: A database of research projects investigating the cause of the decline of the western population of Steller sea lions.
• NMFS Steller Sea Lion Mitigation Committee Reference Materials

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