April 14, 2025 — U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is leading his Democratic colleagues in the Oregon delegation—Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—in urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to declare a federal fishery resource disaster for the 2024 Oregon troll salmon fishery.
“We write to urge your expeditious approval of Oregon Governor Kotek’s request for a fishery resource disaster declaration under section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act for the Oregon troll salmon fishery. This declaration is critical to provide economic relief to Oregon’s fisheries and coastal communities in addition to protecting the sustainability of wild salmon populations,” the lawmakers state in a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce Director.
In 2024, Oregon’s troll salmon fishery struggled amid worsening effects of climate change, increased drought, shifting ocean conditions, and other impacts leading to poor salmon returns, the release states. Facing these significant challenges, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) estimates that 2024 Chinook salmon population levels were below forecasts, with 2025 Chinook salmon populations likely “not high enough to allow for target summer Chinook fisheries.