SAVING Klamath Salmon
By Regina Chichizola, Klamath Riverkeeper
tive tribes and coastal fishermen of Northern California whose livelihood, sustenance and religious practices depend on the Klamath salmon. Our goal: to bring back the Klamath’s diverse fisheries and restore the salmon. Klamath salmon stocks are the cornerstone of the entire West Coast salmon fishing industry. The Klamath River is home to the some of the last remaining runs of Chinook and Coho Salmon. It is also the last spawning ground for the massive green sturgeon, which lives up to 70 years and weighs up to 350 pounds. For every fish species in the Klamath, there is a culture that evolved with them. Now these fisheries are at risk. In 2002, just one year after the Bush administration launched its 10 year plan for the river, 64,000 adult salmon died in the Klamath. In the years since, fishermen and tribes have been fighting for their livelihoods and their lives. The salmon fishery in a 700-mile stretch of California and Oregon coastline is governed by the health of the Klamath River’s salmon runs, which have been declining steadily since the 2002 fish kill. If Klamath numbers are lower then 35,000 salmon for more then a year, the state curtails the fishing season. In 2006 salmon numbers where predicted to be only in the 20,000 range and the coastal fishery was closed. Hundreds were left jobless. Fishermen, tribes and the coastal towns that lost millions in revenue demanded emergency relief for the industry. When no relief came the coalition took action to fix the Klamath. In a recent press conference announcing the ‘Water for Fish’ campaign, fishermen and tribes underlined the importance of the Klamath fishery. Dick Pool, campaign coordinator and owner of the Concord, CA-based tackle company, Pro-Troll, explained the reason behind the campaign, “Dams, diversions and mismanagement are leading to a massive fisheries failure in California,” he said. “Fish and fishermen are being left out of water policy decisions of the state and federal governments.” Gordon Robertson, from the America Sportfishing Association, underlined the economic importance of fishing in the U.S. and California, “Recreational fishing contributes 116 billion to the
Fishermen rally in May 2006 to fix the Klamath.
KLAMATH RIVERKEEPER
»IN 2006 the Klamath Riverkeeper joined the na-
