Chinook Not to Be Listed Under the Endangered Species Act, Alaska Agrees
— ADF&G Press Release

Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, Alaska 99811-5526

Press Release: May 13, 2026

CONTACT: For more information contact: Communications Director Patty Sullivan, Desk (907)465-6436, Cell (907) 331-9100 or patty.sullivan@alaska.gov

Chinook Not to Be Listed Under the Endangered Species Act, Alaska Agrees

(Anchorage) – NMFS, the National Marine Fisheries Service, has decided that listing Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Chinook salmon under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in not warranted. This decision follows an extensive review of data on salmon abundance, habitat quality, harvest, fishery management, and other factors.

The State emphasizes that Gulf of Alaska Chinook do not come close to meeting the definition for listing under the ESA. If the listing had occurred, oversight of Chinook management would have transferred to the federal government.

"This decision by NMFS Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler indicates strong support for Alaska's management of natural resources," said Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang. "Alaska became a state, in large part, to hold authority over our own natural resources such as fisheries. Since then, the sound science and fisheries management by our department has been recognized globally."

Commissioner Vincent-Lang emphasized that biological indicators cited in the petition were grossly inadequate to support an ESA listing. "Failing to meet an escapement goal is not evidence that a stock is at risk of extinction; rather it is a proactive management trigger to ensure stocks are not overfished," Commissioner Vincent-Lang said. "Alaska takes the decline in Chinook abundance very seriously. That is why we have taken significant management actions to reduce harvest and have invested heavily in research to better understand the causes of reduced productivity of these stocks."

While changing ocean conditions have reduced Chinook productivity statewide since 2007, trends vary by river system, and some stocks have recently improved.