Salmon

Washington, DC - 11/12/2009 - During this year’s Global Week of Action, a week devoted to farmed salmon awareness, the Pew Environment Group today raised concern about the creation of fish farms in U.S. waters without adequate uniform national aquaculture standards in place.

In the past two months, tens of thousands of farmed salmon have escaped from open-net fish farms in British Columbia, Norway and Scotland. This poses serious threats to wild salmon populations and coastal marine ecosystems. While monetary losses amount to millions of dollars, the ecological damage caused by these fish is immeasurable. Escaped fish spread disease to wild fish and compete and interbreed with wild salmon populations.    » read more »

Legislation seeks to expose true causes for declines of fish, return flow of water to Valley

November 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Dennis Cardoza introduced bipartisan legislation today that calls for a review of the federal biological opinions that have significantly reduced the amount of water flowing to San Joaquin Valley farmers. Congressmen Costa (D-Fresno) and Radanovich (R-Mariposa) joined as original cosponsors.    » read more »

Proposed Mine Could Destroy World's Largest Salmon Run and Local Fishing Industry

LOS ANGELES (October 13, 2009) –The Natural Resources Defense Council announced today a new BioGem campaign to save Alaska’s Bristol Bay, the world’s most productive salmon fishery, from the development of Pebble Mine, one of the largest gold and copper mines ever proposed.

“There are few human activities as toxic as large-scale mining,” said Joel Reynolds, senior attorney and director of NRDC’s marine mammal protection project. “The Pebble Mine project could lead to widespread water contamination, which would destroy the salmon runs of the Bristol Bay watershed and thereby devastate the native communities and abundant wildlife the salmon have supported for thousands of years.”    » read more »

Legislation will protect endangered species habitat salmon

October 13, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 1593) to designate Illabot Creek in Skagit County as a component of the Wild and Scenic River System. The House legislation, sponsored by U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), will permanently protect the free flowing nature of this tributary of the Skagit River. This legislation was introduced in March of this year and earned widespread local support, including endorsements from environmentalists, Skagit County Commissioners, fishing groups, and farmers.    » read more »

Federal Fisheries Disaster for Yukon Chinook

August 7, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sean Parnell today sought to secure federal disaster relief for Yukon River residents. Parnell urged the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to declare a fishery disaster due to poor returns of chinook salmon on the Yukon River.

“I trust Secretary Locke will recognize the severity of the situation on the Yukon and declare a fishery disaster,” Governor Parnell said. “I look forward to working with federal agencies and Alaska’s congressional delegation to secure disaster relief assistance for this region.”    » read more »

June 15, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today issued the following statement on the decision of the Federal government to expand the Endangered Species Act in Maine for Atlantic Salmon. The rule includes the Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers to the existing Endangered Species Act.

“I am deeply disappointed and concerned that the State’s comments to the draft rule were not incorporated in the final decision of the Federal government. This Federal action ignores Maine’s strong track record in species management and our need for a flexible approach which will enable us to use all our tools to work with stakeholders to manage Atlantic salmon.”    » read more »

President rescinds budget cuts to Pacific Coastal Recovery Fund

June 1, 2009 -- Washington, DC. – Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have successfully convinced the Obama Administration to restore $50 million in funding to restore Northwest salmon. The President and his staff responded to requests from Crapo, Risch and others in the Pacific Northwest to an original Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal that would have zeroed out the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Program.    » read more »

Emmett water dedication, Lake Lowell boating also on agenda

May 28, 2009 -- Boise – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will discuss energy-related issues, such as renewable energy, water and endangered salmon plans, during a speech to the NW Energy Coalition on Friday.

Crapo, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Ranking Member on the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, has been a part of hearings involving issues such as species recovery and climate change. He convened a salmon and water summit in 2003, bringing Northwest participants to the Idaho Statehouse for several days of talks.    » read more »

Oslo, Norway - 05/25/2009 - Members of the Pure Salmon Campaign coalition, a diverse group of stakeholders from key farmed salmon production and consumption nations including Canada, Chile, Scotland, Ireland and the United States, urge Marine Harvest to eliminate its destructive environmental impacts by separating farmed fish from wild fish populations and finding new sources for fish feed.    » read more »

Obama Administration agrees to amend their Fiscal Year 2010 Budget proposal after Murray, Cantwell, Dicks and West Coast Congressional members call to restore program and funding

May 21, 2009 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA 6th) announced that the Obama Administration has agreed to amend their Fiscal Year 2010 Budget to reinstate the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) and restore $50 million in funding for the program.    » read more »

Low returns of Sacramento River fall Chinook will curtail commercial salmon fishing; Governor orders state agencies to help struggling coastal fishing communities

April 21, 2009 -- (Salem) - Today, Oregon Governor Kulongoski and California Governor Schwarzenegger requested that U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke declare both a resource disaster under the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act, and a commercial fishery failure under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Securing federal declarations under the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Act will provide important leverage for ocean fishermen seeking vital economic assistance.

“Salmon are a vital component of California and Oregon’s natural resources and provide    » read more »

04/21/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today took action to avoid harmful impacts to the state’s economy following the California Fish and Game Commission’s vote to close the 2009 recreational salmon season. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) voted to close the commercial salmon season on April 8. This is the second consecutive year that the state’s salmon fishery has been closed.

The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in California and sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke asking for his support in obtaining federal disaster assistance.    » read more »

06/17/2008 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon Governor Theodore Kulongoski and Washington Governor Christine Gregoire sent a joint letter to President George Bush today expressing strong opposition to the Administration's proposal to remove $70 million in emergency disaster assistance for fishing families, communities and businesses impacted by the closure of the salmon season, and they urged President Bush to reconsider his opposition to helping these families in need.    » read more »

Bush administration plans to cut funding by $70 million

June 12, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the Bush administration’s plan to shrink federal funding set aside to help Pacific coast salmon fishing families and small businesses:

“I am angered and deeply discouraged that the Bush administration would even consider reducing the emergency aid dedicated to Pacific salmon fishers. This action represents complete disregard for the thousands of families who rely on a strong salmon season for their livelihoods.    » read more »

Agreement will drastically boost salmon returning to Puget Sound and Columbia River

May 22, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today hailed the news that representatives from the United States and Canada have agreed to recommend their governments approve new coast-wide fishing arrangements under the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

The new ten-year agreement outlines each nation’s fishery management plans for Chinook, Coho, chum, and some pink and sockeye stocks from 2009 to 2018. The treaty, if approved, will result in approximately one million fewer Chinook salmon harvested in Canada and Alaska. About half of those fish saved originate from Washington and Oregon waters.    » read more »