Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7(a)(2) Biological Opinion and Section 7(a)(2) "Not Likely to Adversely Affect" Determination Continuing Operation of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery PeTS Number: NWR-2012-876 Action Agency: National Marine Fisheries Service Affected Species and Determinations: ESA-Listed Species Status Is Action Likely Is Action Is Action Likely to Adversely Likely To To Destroy or Affect Species Jeopardize the Adversely or Critical Species? Modify Critical Habitat? Habitat? Green Sturgeon (Acipenser Threatened Yes No No medirostris) Eulachon (Thaleichthys Threatened Yes No No vaci/icus) Humpback whales (Megaptera Endangered Yes No N/A novaeangliae) Steller sea lions (Eumetopias Threatened Yes No No jubatus) Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys Endangered Yes No No coriacea) Consultation Conducted By: National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Region Issued By: illiam W. Stelle, Jr. Regional Administrator Date: December 7,2012 List of Acronyms ACL Annual Catch Limits AKR Alaska Region A-SHOP At-Sea Hake Observer Program BRT Biological Review Team BRD Bycatch Reduction Device CA/OR/WA California/Oregon/Washington CDFG California Department of Fish and Game CI Confidence Interval COSEWIC Committee on the Status for Endangered Wildlife in Canada CPFVs Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels CPUE Catch Per Unit Effort DPS Distinct Population Segment DQA Data Quality Act DU Designatable Unit EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EFH Essential Fishing Habitat EFPs Exempt Fishing Permits ESA Endangered Species Act ESU Evolutionarily Significant Unit FL Fork Length FMP Fishery Management Plan GCID Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District GMT Groundfish Management Team IFQ Individual Fishing Quota ISAB Independent Scientific Advisory Board ITS Incidental Take Statement LE Limited Entry MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MMHSRP Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program MSA Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NID Negligible Impact Determination NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NWFSC Northwest Fisheries Science Center NWR Northwest Region OA Open Access ODCC Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission ODFW Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife OYs Optimum Yields PacFIN Pacific Fisheries Information Network PBR Potential Biological Removal PCE Primary Constituent Element PCGF Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery PCGW Pacific Coast Groundfish and Endangered Species Workgroup 2 PFMC Pacific Fishery Management Council PIT Passive Integrated Transponder PRD Protected Resources Division PSMFC Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission QSM Quota Species Monitoring RBDD Red Bluff Diversion Dam RCA Rockfish Conservation Area RecFIN Recreational Fisheries Information System SARA Species at Risk Act SDPS Southern Distinct Population Segment (of green sturgeon) SFD Sustainable Fisheries Division SHOP Shoreside Hake Observation Program SRP Scientific Research Permit SWR Southwest Region SWFSC Southwest Fisheries Science Center TL Total length USBR United States Bureau of Reclamation USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service VMS Vessel Monitoring Systems WDFW Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife WCGOP West Coast Groundfish Observer Program 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Consultation History ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Proposed Action .................................................................................................................. 2 1.3.1 Overview of the Groundfish Fishery .................................................................................. 3 1.3.2 Groundfish Fishery Sectors................................................................................................. 4 1.3.4 Seasonality ........................................................................................................................ 10 1.3.5 Geographic Extent ............................................................................................................ 11 1.3.6 Gear Fished in the Groundfish Fishery ............................................................................. 14 1.3.7 Catch Monitoring, Accounting, and Enforcement ............................................................ 16 1.4 Action Area ....................................................................................................................... 31 2. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: BIOLOGICAL OPINION AND INCIDENTAL TAKE STATEMENT ................................................................................................................................32 2.1 Approach to the Analysis .................................................................................................. 32 2.2 Rangewide Status of the Species and Critical Habitat ...................................................... 33 2.2.1 Status of Listed Species .................................................................................................... 33 2.2.2 Status of Critical Habitat ................................................................................................... 61 2.3 Environmental Baseline .................................................................................................... 63 2.3.1 Eulachon ........................................................................................................................... 63 2.3.2 Green Sturgeon ................................................................................................................. 65 2.3.3 Humpback Whales ............................................................................................................ 70 2.3.4 Steller Sea Lions ............................................................................................................... 77 2.3.5 Leatherback Sea Turtles .................................................................................................... 80 2.4 Effects of the Action on Species and Designated Critical Habitat ................................... 82 2.4.1 Effects of the Action on Listed Species ............................................................................ 83 2.4.2 Effects of the Action on Critical Habitat ........................................................................ 105 2.5 Cumulative Effects................................................................................................................ 106 2.6 Integration and Synthesis ................................................................................................ 107 2.6.1 Eulachon ......................................................................................................................... 107 2.6.2 Green Sturgeon ............................................................................................................... 108 2.6.3 Humpback Whales .......................................................................................................... 112 2.6.4 Steller Sea Lions ............................................................................................................. 115 2.6.5 Leatherback Sea Turtles .................................................................................................. 117 2.7 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 118 2.7.1 Eulachon ......................................................................................................................... 118 2.7.2 Green Sturgeon and Their Critical Habitat ..................................................................... 119 2.7.3 Humpback Whales .......................................................................................................... 119 2.7.4 Steller Sea Lions ............................................................................................................. 119 2.7.5 Leatherback Sea Turtles and Their Critical Habitat ....................................................... 119 2.8. Incidental Take Statement............................................................................................... 119 2.8.1 Amount or Extent of Take .............................................................................................. 121 2.8.2 Effect of the Take............................................................................................................ 123 4 2.8.3 Reasonable and Prudent Measures .................................................................................. 123 2.8.4 Terms and Conditions ..................................................................................................... 126 2.9 Conservation Recommendations .................................................................................... 129 2.9.1 Eulachon ......................................................................................................................... 129 2.9.2 Green Sturgeon ............................................................................................................... 130 2.9.3 Humpback Whales and Leatherback Sea Turtles ........................................................... 130 2.9.4 Leatherback