Not an Exoneration, but a Wake Up Call
NOAA Fisheries’ decision that an Endangered Species Act listing for Olympic Peninsula steelhead is not warranted should not be interpreted as a clean bill of health for the species. An independent status review by federal scientists concluded that these fish face a moderate risk of extinction across their range—a clear acknowledgment that Olympic Peninsula steelhead are on a declining trajectory. That conclusion stands in stark contrast to the 1996 review, which found no risk of extinction then or in the foreseeable future.
The 2024 status review documents long-term population declines, reduced productivity, and ongoing pressures from habitat loss, climate change, and harvest regimes that have failed to keep pace with changing ecological conditions.
This determination follows a 2022 petition to list Olympic Peninsula steelhead under the ESA and a 90-day finding in early 2023 that listing may be warranted. NOAA’s failure to issue a timely 12-month determination ultimately led to a successful lawsuit and a court-ordered deadline for this decision.
In other words, the bar for ESA listing is intentionally high. A finding of “not warranted” does not mean the fish are secure, it means NOAA believes existing regulatory authorities and co-management frameworks could prevent further decline if they are fully and effectively implemented.
That conclusion places substantial responsibility on state and tribal co-managers, federal land and water agencies, and the broader angling community. In recent years, coastal steelhead returns have repeatedly fallen below expectations and escapement goals, triggering emergency fishery restrictions and renewed debates over harvest levels, hatchery practices, and habitat protection.
The finding of a moderate risk of extinction should be treated as a mandate for action, not a footnote.
That means:
• Tightening fisheries and bycatch management in waters where wild steelhead are struggling, including adopting precautionary harvest rules for both steelhead and resident Oncorhynchus mykiss in shared systems.
• Re-examining hatchery programs to better account for and reduce genetic and ecological risks to wild populations.
• Accelerating habitat restoration and climate-resilience projects—such as culvert and barrier removal, floodplain reconnection, and riparian protection—that benefit fish populations and local communities alike.
• Investing in robust monitoring and transparent public reporting so progress, or lack thereof, is clearly visible and accountable.
The WSC will continue to press for strong, science-based protections that provide real assurance for the future of these fish. Olympic Peninsula steelhead are too important, culturally, economically, and ecologically, for this decision to become an excuse for complacency.