Saving Seafood

Northwest tribesโ€™ salmon hatcheries get $240 million federal boost

July 29, 2024 โ€” West Coast tribes are getting nearly $240 million from the federal government to improve their salmon hatcheries.

Twenty-seven tribes, including 21 from Washington state, will get an initial $2 million each to repair and modernize their aging hatcheries, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Thursday.

The remaining funds will be awarded competitively among the tribes โ€œin the coming months,โ€ federal officials said.

Jennifer Quan, regional administrator of NOAA Fisheries, called it โ€œone of our greatest commitments of support for tribal fisheries since the treaties themselves that first assured the tribes access to the fisheries.โ€

Read the full article at KUOW

West Coast fishermen, other stakeholders grapple with salmon season closure

April 11, 2023 โ€” Salmon anglers and environmental conservationists alike are working to restore the west coast salmon population in light of salmon season being officially cancelled last week.

According to Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermenโ€™s Associations (PCFFA) Executive Director Glen Spain, the consequences that led to salmon season being cancelled this year will likely affect the next few season as well.

This is because there is a three-year period of time between when a salmon is born and when it makes it out to the ocean; but over this past three-year period, multiple water policies led to even lower water levels in California rivers, which lower and warmer than usual due to the drought in the state.

This caused many salmon to die in the rivers before they could even begin their journeys to the ocean.

Read the full article at KRCR