Petition to List Lynn Canal Pacific Herring under the Endangered ...

This petition is divided into four main sections and an appendix.
Section One provides an overview and species account of the Pacific Herring generally
and Lynn Canal Herring where specific information is available.
Section Two provides a detailed summary of information on the abundance and
population trends of Lynn Canal Herring.
Section Three evaluates the Lynn Canal Herring population in light of the definition of a
“species” under the ESA, 16 U.S.C. § 1532 (16), and the definition of a “distinct vertebrate
population segment” under the joint U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Policy Regarding the Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate
Population Segments (DPS Policy) (USFWS-NMFS 1996). This petition concludes that the
Lynn Canal Herring population satisfies the DPS Policy, and therefore should be considered a
“distinct vertebrate population segment” under the ESA.
Section Four analyses the conservation status of Lynn Canal Herring in the context of the
five factors considered for listing a species as threatened or endangered under the ESA.
Appendix A provides an overview and summary of relevant genetic data on herring.
I. SPECIES ACCOUNT
A. Species Description
Pacific Herring are small fish in the family Clupeidae which gather in large oceanic
schools. They have bluish green dorsal sides which contrast with a silvery ventral surface
(Lassuy 1989). Guanine crystals growing in the skin of herring create the silvery layer that
reflects light, used to both confuse predators and camouflage large schools.
Pacific herring are easily identified by their silvery color, and lack spots, adipose fin,
teeth, and head scales or striae. The herring’s slender, elongate body has large cycloid scales.
Adults are generally about 8 inches long but can grow as large as 18 inches in some populations.
Pacific herring have compressed heads with a mouth directed upward and a lower jaw that
extends to a point below the eye (Lassuy 1989).
B. Taxonomy
Cuvier and Valenciennes (1847) first described Pacific herring as a subspecies of Atlantic
Herring (Clupea harengus). Since that time, taxonomists revised herring taxonomy and
identified Pacific herring as a distinct species, Clupea pallasi, rather than a sub-species of
herring (Rass and Wheeler 1991). The currently recognized nomenclature for the Pacific
Herring species is Clupea pallasi Valenciennes.
Several subspecies or races of Pacific Herring are defined by numerous authors (See
Grant and Utter 1984 for a review). According to Grant and Utter (1984), some researchers
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