Declining Yukon River Chinook, Lasting Impacts on Alaska Native Communities
It’s been a little more than 26 years since I was hired as editor of The Osprey over lunch at Kells Irish Pub & Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. It’s no clever observation to say that things have changed tremendously in the world of wild salmon and steelhead conservation in the intervening years.
Backing up to the late 1980s, when I began working for Trout Unlimited, the wild fish conservation landscape looked quite different. It was driven mostly, although not exclusively, by conservation minded catch-and-release-oriented fly anglers. The focus was almost exclusively on wild trout.
While there were many established conservation non-profits, both national and local grassroots, they largely ignored the decline of native coldwater fish species. In fact, around that time a prominent Pacific salmon scientist told me that the big conservation organizations “didn’t give a [expletive deleted] about fish.”
Hatcheries and habitat were the primary targets of wild trout advocates. Although scientific research was increasingly identifying threats that stocking artificially-raised fish posed to wild populations, state fish and wildlife agencies continued to dump hatchery fish willy-nilly into streams and lakes regardless of genetics, broodstock origins or even if they were a native species. Habitat restoration was in it’s early stages, and the dynamics of water, woody debris and fish habitat wasn’t fully understood. Lacking funds for heavy equipment, local fishing club volunteers, working with state and federal agencies, muscled logs, stumps and boulders into streams, securing them with rebar and cable.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
• Transboundary Region Mining Threats
• Winchester Dam Removal Campaign
• Clearing Southern California Steelhead Barriers
• Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement
Things change, albeit slowly. Hatchery managers adopted reforms under pressure from advocates, habitat projects became better funded, larger and more effective, salmon and steelhead entered the conservation picture, more organizations joined the fight and even the early “pipe dreams” of dam removal is becoming reality. Things were improving from the early days.
We now seem to be at another inflection point, although one that trends in the opposite direction. But it’s not over yet. For inspiration I look to the spring Chinook salmon that have repopulated the Klamath River in the absence of the four lower dams in larger numbers than anticipated. Those wild fish maintained the resilience, adaptability and strength to return to a former realm as soon as the opportunity arrived. Wild fish advocates need to follow the wild Chinooks’ lead. The barriers that have been put up for us are temporary, and will eventually come down.
I’m fortunate to have been able to work in wild fish conservation for so many years with so many good, dedicated people. I’m grateful to have served as Editor of The Osprey and watch it grow in reputation and reach. And I am especially grateful to all of our readers who have supported us and kept us in business for these many years. My heartfelt thanks.
And before I fly off from this perch for the last time, I want to welcome Daniel Ritz, incoming editor of The Osprey. Daniel brings expertise as a journalist, science communicator and wild salmon and steelhead conservationist. Rest assured, he will continue The Osprey’s long legacy of unwavering wild salmon and steelhead advocacy.