Feds complete status reviews of Oregon coast, NorCal Chinook populations
Federal salmon overseers say Oregon Coast Chinook face a low risk of extinction, according to a recently concluded deep dive into the health of runs stretching from the Necanicum in the north to the Elk and Sixes in the south. It’s not the final word on whether an Endangered Species Act listing is needed or not, but the 195-page status review does represent an assessment by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Northwest Science Center in response to a petition filed in 2022 to list the stock and will be a relief to fishermen and salmon managers. … However, the news wasn’t as good for Chinook in the Southern Oregon and Northern California ESU, which stretches from Bandon to the Klamath River. Even as the overall population is also at low risk of extinction, key components aren’t doing as well, raising the risk for the entire stock.