BY TRAVIS BARRETT

Outdoors Writer

The federal government would like to offer the Atlantic salmon further protection.

On Tuesday, the fisheries service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joined with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to announce their intentions of expanding protections for the Atlantic salmon. Under the recommendation, populations of the species would be considered "endangered" in the Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot River systems.

Currently, Atlantic salmon are protected in seven Maine rivers -- the Dennys, Machias, East Machias, Pleasant, Narraguagus, Ducktrap and Sheepscot Rivers. Cove Brook is also a federally protected Atlantic salmon water. It is illegal to kill or capture any species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

"Historically, (the Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot) rivers were the big salmon producers," said Andrew Goode, vice president of the Atlantic Salmon Federation's U.S. programs. "Today, while Atlantic salmon have continued to hang on, their numbers have declined by more than 99 percent in these watersheds that cover two-thirds of Maine."

Deteriorating conditions or the complete loss of habitat have most significantly affected the Atlantic salmon populations in the rivers. Dams hindering fish passage are also contributing factors.

Listing Atlantic salmon as endangered was first introduced two years ago, but the NOAA and the Fish and Wildlife Service recommended further monitoring of both the Penobscot and Kennebec. Thousands of Atlantic salmon returned to spawn in those rivers this year, setting near-record numbers. Only once in the last three decades -- in 1986 -- has the number of Atlantic salmon returning to spawn in the Penobscot cleared 2,000 individual fish. Annual averages hovered near 1,000 fish.

Under Tuesday's announcement, final habitat designation for listing Atlantic salmon populations must be approved by April 30 of next year. During a public comment period, further consideration will be given to whether it is best to list the Atlantic salmon as "endangered" or "threatened." Species that are listed as "threatened" are not in direct danger of becoming extinct.

Earlier this summer Joan Trial, a senior biologist for the Maine Department of Marine Resources, was optimistic that this year's numbers represented hope for the future.

"It's a success if we see four (consecutive) years with the same number of fish from good, natural reproduction," Trial said last month. "We want to see several years of good returns. Right now, we're cautiously optimistic that this is a good turn." The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife could see its stocking programs in jeopardy on the Kennebec as a result of listing Atlantic salmon as endangered. Salmonid management has been halted on rivers already protected by the federal government, either allowing for wild populations of brook trout or none at all.

"It could jeopardize salmonid management on the Kennebec, but only if any agreement says that we can't stock it," said Scott Davis, a local fisheries biologist for DIF&W. "But we don't know any of that yet. I can't stress that enough. We don't know what the criteria is for that."

Travis Barrett -- 621-5648 tbarrett@centralmaine.com