S. 1702

Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act

This bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to issue one-year permits allowing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe to kill sea lions in a portion of the Columbia River or certain tributaries in order to protect fish from sea lion predation. Permits may be issued to kill sea lions only if the sea lions are part of a population that is not depleted.

The permits may authorize the lethal taking of 100 sea lions or fewer. The cumulative annual taking of sea lions each year under all such permits is limited to 10% of the annual potential biological removal level.

Permit holders must be trained in natural resource management.

These permits are exempted from environmental review requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for five years.

NOAA may suspend the issuance of the permits if, within five years, lethal removal authority is no longer necessary to protect fish from sea lion predation.