SACRAMENTO – Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Jim Wood continue to push to make the recovery of California’s salmon population an urgent priority throughout the state and at the federal level.
The North Coast legislative leaders introduced Senate Joint Resolution 7, which was heard and passed unanimously in the Senate Natural Resources Committee this week.
“This resolution represents the California Legislature’s request for disaster assistance for our state’s salmon fleet, families, and communities – which have been devastated by historic losses to California’s iconic salmon fishery,” Sen. McGuire said. “The 2017 season is predicted to be one of the worst seasons on record. We all have to step up and assist the thousands of Californians who are facing unrelenting struggle. Our state and federal agencies need to make their recovery an urgent and top priority.”
SJR 7 calls for commercial fishery failure determinations to be made, and disaster relief provided, for California salmon fisheries in 2016 and 2017. SJR 7 also calls on the Legislature, and urges state and federal departments and agencies, to make collaborative, statewide salmon fishery restoration an urgent and high priority.
“With SJR 7, we are pressing our state agencies to adapt. Climate change is here and it is having a devastating impact on our salmon populations. Longer droughts and more severe storms means we must reevaluate our strategy for preserving these species and resources. These species are resilient, but if we don’t reevaluate our strategies and our priorities we will all pay the price,” Assemblymember Jim Wood said.
Back in 2004, 502,110 salmon were caught off the California coast, last year, just 55,051, an 89% decrease.
The projected 2017 population of Klamath River Chinook salmon in the ocean are at the lowest level in history. According to scientists, salmon could be extinct from the Sacramento River watershed in the next decade.
In fact, of the 10 times in the past 65 years that the adult population of Bay-Delta Chinook salmon have fallen below 250,000 fish, 8 have occurred in the past 12 years.
SJR 7 is supported by the Golden Gate Salmon Association, Pacific Coast federation of Fishermen’s Association, California Salmon Council, River Partners, California Trout, Trout Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy.
Bill introduced to help salmon fishing fleet
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