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Steller sea lions on Benjamin Island haulout, Juneau, Alaska. Photo: Greg Bledsoe, NMFS

What is Critical Habitat? Critical habitat areas, designated by the National Marine Fisheries Service on August 27, 1993, respond to requirements of the Endangered Species Act (50 CFR 226.202). Steller sea lion critical habitat includes a 20 nautical mile buffer around all major haulouts and rookeries, as well as associated terrestrial, air and aquatic zones, and three large offshore foraging areas. NMFS has implemented a complex suite of fishery management measures designed to minimize competition between fishing and the endangered population of Steller sea lions in critical habitat areas. Those management measures are the Steller sea lion protection measures. Critical Habitat 50 CFR 226.202     - Table 1     - Table 2 Maps     - Western-Southcentral Alaska  (1.1 MB PDF)     - Southeast Alaska (850 KB PDF) Rookery No-Entry Zones Three Nautical Mile No-Entry Zone     - 50 CFR 223.202 Listed Steller Sea Lion Rookery Sites     - Table 1 - 50 CFR 223.202 Related Regulations Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures National Environmental Laws Alaska Groundfish Harvest Specifications Alaska Groundfish Fisheries Regulations