Newsom Requests Federal Fishery Disaster Declaration For California

By Ria Roebuck Joseph | The Center Square contributor, The Center Square California

April 8, 2023

(The Center Square) - The projected amounts of key salmon stocks off California and parts of Southern Oregon has led the Pacific Fishery Management Council to recommend a full closure of the 2023 ocean salmon season, leading California’s governor to request a Federal Fishery Disaster declaration.

The declaration is requested specifically for the State of California 2023 Sacramento River Fall Chinook (SRFC) and Klamath River Fall Chinook (KRFC) ocean and inland salmon which are at historic lows. The projected loss from closures of commercial and recreational fisheries is expected to exceed $45 million. This estimate does not account for the full impact to California’s communities as it does not include economic impacts to inland salmon fisheries.

A letter by California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to the US Department of Commerce revealed the reason for the low count of salmon stocks, “A host of factors have pushed these iconic and important fisheries to the point of collapse, including prolonged and historic drought, severe wildfires, impacts to spawning and rearing habitat, harmful algal blooms, and ocean forage shifts and associated thiamine deficiency.”

Salmon are born in freshwater but spend most of their lives in the ocean, then return to freshwater to spawn. This life cycle makes them particularly susceptible to factors both on land and at sea. The low count has been attributed in part to the low return of salmon entering California’s waters, which were affected by drought three years ago and are now subject to climate disruption putting further stress on fish stocks.

“Countless families, coastal communities and tribal nations depend on salmon fishing – it’s more than an industry, it’s a way of life. That’s why we’re requesting expedited relief from the federal government,” said Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis.

“Salmon are a vital component of California’s cultural and natural resources and provide significant commercial, recreational, economic, intrinsic, and cultural benefits to the state,” the letter continued. “I am requesting an expedited declaration of a fishery resource disaster for California’s SFRC and KRFC fisheries to enable fishing communities affected by this disaster to receive essential economic assistance.”

Assistance to the communities impacted by the closures which are expected to be implemented next month, hinges around the approval of the request.

Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis stated “The Federal Fishery Disaster Declaration we’re requesting today is vital to supporting our coastal regions, and we look forward to getting families the help they need.”

The Pacific Fishery Management Council manages fisheries for approximately 119 species of fish on the West Coast of the United States.

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