CalTrout On Its Role In Salmon Recovery Amid More Shutdowns
As the state faces another disastrous fallout for king salmon fishing – a full closure of the commercial season and recommendations of a very limited recreational season – California Trout has committed to continuing its recovery work as the the fishing community hopes for restoration of kings despite meager stocks returning to river systems. Here’s more from CalTrout:
While this decision will help keep populations afloat, the closure has significant economic repercussions, affecting the commercial fishing industry, recreational charter operators, and communities reliant on salmon-related industries from Monterey to the Oregon border. Additionally, salmon hold cultural importance for Native American Tribes in California. Low salmon numbers directly impact many Californians’ way of life.
“A third year of closure is brutal for towns along the North and Central coasts that rely on anglers to fill hotels and restaurants during the season,” said Charlie Schneider, California Trout Lost Coast Project Manager. “While a short recreational season will keep hope alive for some anglers, it won’t do much to support the communities and economies that rely on these fish. We aren’t going to stop working for those folks.”
California’s salmon crisis is a result of long-term habitat degradation, water mismanagement, and compounding impacts from climate change. The staggering loss of these fish is part of a larger biodiversity crisis. CalTrout and UC Davis’ SOS II: State of the Salmonids report found that 45% of California’s native salmon, trout, and steelhead are at risk of going extinct in the next 50 years if current trends continue.
For over fifty years, CalTrout has advocated for comprehensive solutions, including dam or other barrier removals, improved fish passage and flow rates, and restoration of floodplain, estuary, and cold-water habitats to support salmon recovery.
