It is good news that salmon fishing was closed.



After 150 years of battering salmon habitat and overfishing, it's about
time we gave that  incredible creature a break.  We have conducted a systematic
and unrelenting assault on this spectacular and delicious fish.



European-American cultural influences in California's north coast have
caused the near total elimination of native fisheries.  From their first
sighting of the abundant salmon runs, which they apparently thought was an
endless resource, the newcomers began a wanton appropriation.  



The Indians knew better and had practiced conservation of the resource
for thousands of years.  But the white people considered it quick profit.
 They set up traps and canneries all over the rivers.



Large expanses of salmon habitat were destroyed by  hydrologic mining.
 Rivers were blown up so the river bed could be sifted for gold.



They put up dams to harness river power for electricity to bring more
people to the west. The dams prevented the fish from returning to their historic
spawning habitat. California's Fish and Game department created hatcheries
to offset the huge losses of native fish that no longer would be produced
by the returning salmon.  



Then came the loggers.  Vast tracts of forests were clear cut for more
quick profit.  The richly bio-diverse forests were replaced with single
tree types to provide the loggers a higher yield and profit. Mixed hardwood
forests that nurtured healthy steams became rare.  Beaver - both essential
to mountain ecosystems - were eliminated because they interfered with logging
profits. Streams became inhospitable to salmon.  Spawning habitat was further
reduced.



At the same time, rivers were diverted to provide cheap water to grow
mostly useless agriculture products like cotton and pistachios in the desert.
 Now that the land irrigated by those waters is rendered useless by the toxins
poured over them by growers, the cheap water is sold to Southern California
cities.



Meanwhile the fishing continued virtually unchecked.  Where there were
five annual native salmon runs there are now two.  Millions of salmon which
returned to the Klamath and Sacramento Rivers every year were now down to
a small fraction of their historic numbers.  The reduction in salmon has
become nearly exponential.  But the fishing continued.  The habitat continued
to diminish.



A reliable economic study sponsored by the U.S. Geological Society showed
the Klamath native fishery -if restored and functioning at near capacity
- was worth $6 Billion annually.

That represents the value to local economies and the worth of the catch
to commercial fishermen.



Native people living on their heritage rivers now suffer from a diet
without fish.  These people who were once renowned for their health, cheerful
personalities and mental acumen are now dying from diabetes.  Their diet
now is packed with white bread and low grade ground beef.  



They can't find any of their healthy native potatoes.  But they see plenty
of potatoes grown in the upper basin of their river - with water pumped
out of the river's water table with electricity from power plants that block
fish.  They can't find salmon from their river.  But it is easy to buy salmon
raised on a farm in Chile.  And, now they don't even want fish from their
own river even if they could because the river is poisoned by toxins from
the upper basin agriculture.



Salmon are incredibly resilient.  They survived the Ice Age and molten
lava flows.  But a hundred and fifty years of constant work by our culture
to obliterate them have taken a toll.  



It is not global warming or any one or two of the many other calamitous
efforts.  It is the accumulated effect of all.  Strong leadership is needed.
 The best of minds and energies must be brought together to take the whole
challenge on. The massive misuse of water, and the dams, all the way down
to precious little streams that need their forest canopy and cool rearing
pools, all need an integrated restoration plan.  Presently the government
and its partners, the usurpers of natural resources for profit, keep all
those interested in restoring our native fisheries in a fight with each other
to support the status quo.



Twenty years ago Congress passed the Salmon Recovery Act.  But its effort
has been superficial and the numbers of salmon have continued to drop. Now,
Bush's political practices have actually worsened the recovery.



All fishing should be stopped for awhile.  This year's action to close
the Northern California salmon fishery is a good step.  It will give the
fish a chance.  



Hopefully, with a regime change in Washington this important issue can
be addressed with comprehensive view at the whole salmon habitat.



Jack Ellwanger

Founder, Salmon Coalition and Klamath Restoration Council