September 15, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Michael Baumgartner’s (WA-05) bipartisan Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026 was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee by a voice vote. This clears the bill to be considered by the full House of Representatives. 

“I am pleased the House Natural Resources Committee voted in a bipartisan manner to advance my bill,” said Congressman Baumgartner. “This bill, born in collaboration with many of the tribes in Washington that have federally recognized treaty fishing rights, is an important step in the right direction to protect salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. I look forward to continued bipartisanship as we work to get it signed into law before the end of this Congress.”  

“Recovering Northwest salmon requires granting tribal and local managers the authority to address pinniped predation as they know best,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04). “H.R. 9621 provides greater flexibility to manage pinnipeds in the Columbia River, its tributaries and Washington waters. These local experts understand the ecosystem and need the right tools to support threatened and endangered salmon recovery. I commend Rep. Baumgartner for advancing a science-based solution that empowers regional partners and delivers meaningful results for native fish populations.”

Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026: 

• Revises the current Marine Mammal Protection Act language to remove references to “temporary” authority;
• Broadens the terminology from ‘sea lions’ to ‘pinnipeds’ and updates the requirements for lethal takings so that they must follow the Secretary’s determination and permit conditions;
• Requires annual reporting on pinniped populations and the effects of pinniped predation on recovering salmon and other fish species in the Columbia River and tributaries in Washington and Oregon; 
• Removes or adjusts several location-specific references tied to river mile 112 and McNary Dam; 
• Creates a new Columbia River Pinniped Exclusion Technology Accelerator within the National Marine Fisheries Service to develop non-lethal deterrence tools to prevent pinnipeds from moving further upstream into juvenile fish habitat;
• Directs the Secretary, through NOAA fisheries, to study the effects of these actions on listed salmon and steelhead recovery in the Columbia River and tributaries in Washington and Oregon; and                                             
• Authorizes permits (up to 5 years) for eligible entities, including covered Indian Tribes with treaty-reserved fishing rights in western Washington, to engage in intentional lethal taking of certain pinnipeds in covered waters in Washington state
  • Takings must be humane and carried out by state agencies, qualified contractors, or eligible entities;
  • Taking permits would be suspended after 5 years if lethal removal is no longer necessary to protect salmonid and other fish species from pinniped predation; and
  • Caps annual takings so the total number of authorized takes under all permits cannot exceed 10 percent of the annual potential biological removal level for covered pinnipeds.