US Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NEWS

We are extremely disappointed with today's federal court ruling that halts all trawl net fishing in Steller sea lion critical habitat areas in the eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. While we recognize the need to protect endangered Steller sea lions, we're concerned that this injunction will have a severe impact on Alaskan coastal communities. The impacts will be greatest on fishermen using smaller vessels, in particular Alaska Native fishermen. Major restrictions have already been placed on fishing operations to protect the endangered western Steller sea lion population, including reducing competition for their food. The Alaska groundfish fisheries are the largest in the United States, landing 4.9 billion pounds of fish per year worth over $950 million dollars in 1998. We are consulting with the Department of Justice to review our options in light of today's decision.