RDC is opposing the proposed listing of the Southeast Alaska herring on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and strongly questions the notion of the stock being a Distinct Population Segment (DPS) separate from the herring in the Gulf of Alaska and elsewhere.
In comments submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on the status review of the Southeast population of Pacific herring, RDC noted Pacific herring stocks in Southeast Alaska have not been examined in detail for population discreteness.
Studies conducted on herring stocks elsewhere in the North Pacific, including Puget Sound, have concluded the stocks do not constitute a DPS as defined under the ESA.
In accordance with an ESA listing petition, NMFS previously conducted a status review of the Lynn Canal stock of Pacific herring, upon which the agency concluded that population is not a DPS. The review did, however, find the Southeast Alaska herring population, under which the Lynn Canal stock belongs, to be a DPS and is therefore conducting a status review for that population.
Upon conclusion of this review, NMFS will determine whether to list the Southeast Alaska population under the ESA.
“When making DPS determinations, the discreteness of the population in question and the significance of the population to the remainder of the species should be considered,” said Deantha Crockett, RDC’s Projects Coordinator.
The Commercial Fisheries Division of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) manages the Southeast Pacific herring population exceedingly well, noted Crockett. She pointed out that the populations are reviewed annually and harvesting decisions are based on those assessments. In the past, the herring fishery has been closed when populations are depressed. They remain closed until it is proven the population can support commercial fisheries. In 2007 ADF&G reported that overall herring stocks in Southeast Alaska were stable and healthy.
RDC is concerned about the impact an ESA listing and subsequent critical habitat designation could have on development projects in and around Southeast Alaska.
“The Kensington Mine, poised to provide millions of tax dollars to the City and Borough of Juneau, as well as the State of Alaska, would likely be directly impacted,” Crockett said. “Given its location, shipping and transportation to and from the mine would be hampered, and even the most basic mining operations could prove to be difficult.”
Also affected would be the Kensington Mine dock facility owned by Goldbelt Inc., and the existing Greens Creek Mine on Admiralty Island. All of these projects have been planned and permitted while working with local, state, and federal government agencies to ensure the region is protected and preserved for the future.
Crockett surmises the petitioners may be attempting to list the Southeast Alaska Pacific herring stock under the ESA to control land use decisions, rather than because the stock is threatened. She pointed out the ESA is not meant to control development activities, but rather to preserve species that are truly threatened or endangered.
“Anytime a species is listed under the ESA, that decision must be based on sound science and recognize existing conservation efforts, management mechanisms, and actual population assessments,” Crockett said. “An ESA listing should be a last resort, and not a foregone conclusion. Given the Southeast herring population as a whole is healthy and able to support a commercial fishery, a listing under the ESA is not warranted at this time.”
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