Plummeting numbers of returning salmon have prompted seven of eight members of Oregon’s congressional delegation to urge the Department of Commerce to issue an expedited declaration of a fishery resource emergency for the state.
If approved, the declaration would trigger immediate federal aid to help respond to the ongoing losses from low salmon populations and provide economic support to distressed coastal communities.
“The value of salmon to Oregon cannot be overstated,” according to a letter signed by Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas.
The congressional delegation support letter came in support of Gov. Tina Kotek’s earlier request for a federal fishery resource disaster declaration.
The letter also underscored the important role that salmon play in the cultural heritage of Pacific Northwest tribes, adding, “Federal support for this industry is critical while local, state, and federal partners continue work on long-term solutions.”
The request for an expedited declaration of emergency follows the recent decision by a federal regulatory group to officially close ocean commercial and recreational Chinook salmon fishing along much of the West Coast after near-record low numbers of the fish returned to California’s rivers last year.
A significant portion of the salmon caught off Oregon originate in California’s Klamath and Sacramento rivers. The fish hatch in freshwaters before spending two to four years maturing in the Pacific. Many are then caught each summer by commercial fishermen in Oregon and California as they return to their spawning grounds.
Recent years have seen a marked decline in the iconic fish. In 2014, commercial ocean Chinook landings in Oregon totaled 4.83 million pounds with a value of $18.2 million, according to Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s statistics. By last year that had dropped to 1.48 million pounds and $6.48 million.