BOISE, Idaho — The first attempt to delist one of the 13 species of Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead protected under the Endangered Species Act has been denied by federal authorities.
The decision made public Thursday by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries cites concerns Snake River fall chinook wouldn’t remain viable without continued protections.
An Alaska commercial fishing advocacy group called Chinook Futures Coalition requested the delisting in January 2015.
The group is concerned that protected Snake River fall chinook limit quotas for king salmon because of incidental catching of the protected Snake River fish that travel to waters off Alaska.
Federal officials listed Snake River fall chinook as threatened in 1992 following declines, partly attributed to habitat loss due to dams.
