Sponsors (2)
Expands pinniped lethal‑take permitting in the Columbia River and covered Washington waters, caps removals at 10% of PBR, creates a NMFS exclusion technology accelerator, and requires study and reporting.
Authorizes expanded management tools to reduce pinniped predation on at‑risk salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin and covered Washington waters. It broadens lethal‑take permitting for certain pinniped species, sets caps and reporting requirements, creates a NMFS Pinniped Exclusion Technology Accelerator to fund nonlethal exclusion tools, and requires a ten‑year study and congressional reports on effects for listed salmonids. Permits for intentional lethal take are subject to humane‑methods rules, five‑year terms with renewal, an aggregate annual cap tied to biological removal levels, and suspension triggers if lethal removal is no longer necessary; the Secretary of Commerce (through NMFS) may issue implementing regulations and accept applications from eligible Washington entities outside the Columbia River for covered waters.
Official title: To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow for the taking of pinnipeds on the Columbia River, its tributaries, and the waters of the State of Washington to protect species of salmon listed as endangered species or threatened species and other nonlisted species of fish, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 9, 2026 by Michael Baumgartner · Last progress July 9, 2026