“Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, including the status review report, and taking into account efforts being made to protect the species, we have determined that the OC and SONCC Chinook salmon ESUs do not warrant listing.” source: Federal Register
In a significant decision for Pacific Northwest fisheries and conservation efforts, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has denied the petition to list the Oregon Coast (OC) and Southern Oregon/Northern California Coastal (SONCC) Chinook salmon evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The announcement, made on December 9, 2025, concludes a comprehensive status review that determined these salmon populations are not currently at risk of extinction nor likely to become so in the foreseeable future.
