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NOAA Initiates Status Review of Pacific Herring in Puget Sound Pursuant to ESA Listing

On January 22, 2004, the National Marine Fisheries Service received a petition to list the Cherry Point (Puget Sound, Washington) stock of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The NMFS originally found that the petition failed to present substantial scientific and commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. On May 14, 2004, the same petitioners submitted additional scientific information, including information regarding the stock structure of the Cherry Point and other Pacific Northwest herring stocks. The petitioners’ supplemental submission, in conjunction with the original submission, was considered as a distinct petition by the agency, and found that the supplemental May 14, 2004, petition does indeed present substantial scientific and commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Accordingly, The NMFS initiated a status review of the species.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is soliciting information regarding: the population structure and viability of nearshore stocks of Pacific herring in Puget Sound, Washington, and the Strait of Georgia (Washington and British Columbia); efforts being made to protect the species; and potential peer reviewers.

Information and comments on the subject action must be received by October 12, 2004. For further information contact: Garth Griffin, NMFS, Northwest Region, (503) 231-2005, or Marta Nammack, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, (301) 713-1401.

Federal Register, Volume 69, Number 153, Tuesday, August 10, 2004, pp. 48455-48460 (37.2 KB text file or 71.4 KB Adobe™ Acrobat™ file).

Volume FY04, Number 4