Final Environmental Assessment: Amendment 21 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management PLan: Salmon Fishery Management Measures to Allow for Prey Availability and Foraging Opportunities for Southern Resident Killer Whales

Ocean salmon fisheries in Federal waters of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 3-200 nautical miles off the West Coast states of California, Oregon, and Washington, are managed by the Council. Under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the Council has developed, and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has approved, the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (PFMC 2016a), which sets out the framework under which the fisheries are managed. Approval of an FMP, or an FMP amendment, requires that NMFS, as delegated by the Secretary of Commerce, make a determination that the FMP or amendment is consistent with the MSA and other applicable law, which includes the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW) are an ESA-listed Distinct Population Segment classified as endangered under the ESA (70 FR 69903, November 18, 2005).