H.R. 9621: Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026

This bill would change federal law to make it easier for Washington State and certain tribes to get permits to kill certain pinnipeds—specifically harbor seals, California sea lions, and Steller sea lions that are not classified as depleted or strategic—when they are believed to be harming salmon and other fish.

What the bill changes

• It amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act so that the current limited, temporary authority for removing sea lions is broadened to cover pinnipeds more generally in specified waters.
• It allows the Secretary of Commerce to issue permits to eligible entities, which the bill defines as:
  • the State of Washington, and
  • federally recognized tribes with treaty fishing rights in western Washington.
• These permits would authorize the intentional lethal taking of covered pinnipeds in covered waters for the purpose of protecting covered fish.

Where it applies

The bill focuses on waters in Washington connected to the Columbia River system and Washington’s marine waters. It defines “covered waters” to include rivers and streams in Washington that flow into marine waters, plus related estuaries, bays, Puget Sound, and the Pacific Coast. It specifically excludes the Columbia River and its tributaries from the “covered waters” definition in the Washington-specific permit section, while other parts of the bill continue to address the Columbia River area more broadly.

How the permitting system would work

• The Secretary would create procedures for applying for permits, transferring or revoking them, monitoring their use, reviewing them periodically, and considering geography, season, and species.
• Lethal removal would have to be carried out in a way the Secretary considers appropriate and under the terms of the permit.
• The bill says the methods must be humane.
• State agencies, contractors, or employees of eligible entities could carry out the removals.
• An eligible entity that receives a permit could, with approval, delegate its authority to another eligible entity.
• Permits could last up to 5 years and could be renewed.

Limits and reporting

• The total number of pinnipeds taken each year under all permits could not exceed 10% of the annual potential biological removal level for those animals.
• The Secretary would have to submit a report within 1 year of enactment and then annually afterward. The report would cover:
  • pinniped population status in the Columbia River and its tributaries in Washington and Oregon, and
  • whether pinniped predation is interfering with recovery of endangered or threatened salmonid and other fish species.
• After 5 years, if the Secretary concludes the lethal removal authority is no longer needed, the Secretary must suspend new permits.

Technology and research provisions

• The bill directs the Secretary, working with the Interior Department and the governors of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, to establish a program called the Columbia River Pinniped Exclusion Technology Accelerator, if money is available.
• The goal of this program is to encourage technologies that keep most pinnipeds from moving upstream into salmon habitat and juvenile fish migration areas, while not blocking navigation or fish movement.
• The bill also requires a study on how the new authority affects recovery of endangered or threatened salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its tributaries, with a report to Congress due within 10 years.

Tribal rights

The bill says it should not be interpreted as changing, expanding, confirming, or affecting any treaty or other tribal rights.

Relevant Companies

None found