Steller sea lions may be taken off endangered-species list

Steller sea lions from Alaska’s Panhandle to California’s Channel Islands have reached recovery targets and should be removed from the endangered-species list, according to the federal agency that oversees them.
The eastern population of the marine mammal has increased from about 34,000 in 1997 to 70,000 in 2010, according to federal officials.
The recommendation Wednesday from the National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), does not affect the endangered status of the western population, which includes sea lions throughout the Aleutian Islands.
Fishing restrictions put in place there to aid sea lions were challenged by commercial fishing interests and the state of Alaska.