Protecting Columbia River Salmon Act of 2026 allows certain Indian Tribes to lethally take California sea lions and Steller sea lions in the Columbia.
The Protecting Columbia River Salmon Act of 2026 amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize specific Indian Tribes to intentionally lethally take California sea lions and Steller sea lions in the Columbia River from River Mile 0 to the McNary Dam. The act defines "covered Indian Tribe" as an Indian Tribe with ancestral ties to the specified waters. Tribes can take these pinnipeds without limitations on the number or timing, and they must use humane methods. The act also allows tribes to designate individuals to carry out the lethal take on their behalf.
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