The National Marine Fisheries Service says that Pacific herring and three species of rockfish in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca do not need protection under the Endangered Species Act.
While there is evidence that populations of the fish have declined, their numbers appear to be stable, said a spokesman for the federal agency.
“They’re in relatively good shape, if you take the population as a whole,” Fisheries Service spokesman Brian Gorman said.
“In Puget Sound there are some pockets where they’re not doing well, but in general they’re in good shape.”
Copper, quillback and brown rockfish were considered for the federal listing.
For the complete story see Wednesday’s Peninsula Daily News, on sale in Clallam and Jefferson counties.