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Trouble in the Klamath: Support Relief for Fishermen and Salmon!

photo of Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

Fishermen along more than 700 miles of the West Coast face a devastating commercial salmon fishing closure this summer, owing to the collapse of the Klamath River's wild chinook run. Federal mismanagement of the river, a series of fish-killing dams, excessive water diversions, and poor water quality have taken a severe toll on this river system, which once supported one of the largest salmon runs on the West Coast.

Though this fishing closure will likely have dire consequences for commercial fishing families, as well as hundreds of associated businesses throughout the Northwest, appeals for help have not yet secured federal funds for these communities.

Please take action immediately to help secure disaster relief for communities impacted by this disaster, and ask your members of Congress to provide the leadership necessary to reverse the decline of the Klamath River and its salmon.

Personalized letters are much more effective: Why is providing relief to impacted communities important to you?

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    Sample Letter for Campaign

    Subject: Support Disaster Relief for West Coast Fishermen

    Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

    I am very concerned that, through no fault of their own, salmon fishing communities up and down 700 miles of the Northern California and Oregon coasts are facing severe economic hardships due to one of the largest single fishery closures in our nation's history.

    Federal mismanagement of the Klamath River, including promising too much water to too many users in most years, has devastated this river system, which once supported one of the largest salmon runs on the West Coast. The federal government has determined that a near-total commercial salmon fishing closure is needed to protect what remains of the Klamath River's salmon.

    To date, no funds have yet been secured for these communities. I urge you to appropriate the monies necessary to aid these fishing communities, and to also provide the funding necessary to reverse the decline of the Klamath River and its salmon.

    Families hurt by this closure deserve more than our sympathy -- they deserve action to help them weather the economic hardships the closure is causing, and a long-term financial investment to finally solve the environmental problems of the Klamath Basin.

    Sincerely,

    Campaign Launched:
    June 15, 2006


    Background Information

    photo of a salmonThe ongoing decline of salmon in the Klamath River, which runs through southern Oregon and Northern California, is not the result of natural circumstances. A series of fish-killing dams, excessive water diversions, and poor water quality have taken a severe toll on this river system, which once boasted the third largest runs of salmon on the West Coast. In the fall of 2002, excessive water diversions led to a massive fish kill that claimed over 65,000 adult salmon before they could spawn. Low flows and poor water quality sparked juvenile fish kills in the spring of 2002, and in each spring since.

    Earthjustice At Work

    Earthjustice has long been working to keep the Klamath River and all of our nation's waters fishable and swimmable:

    It is expected that fewer than 30,000 wild chinook salmon will return to the Klamath River this year to spawn naturally -- fewer than officials say are needed to sustain the wild population, let alone support a robust fishery. Because it is impossible for fishermen to determine the river of origin of a particular salmon once it is in the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council and U.S. Department of Commerce have determined that a near total commercial salmon fishing closure is needed to protect what remains of the Klamath River’s salmon.

    This is one of the largest single fishery closures in our nation’s history. It means that through no fault of their own, salmon fishing communities up and down 700 miles of the Northern California and Oregon coasts are facing severe economic hardships this year.

     Photo of the dry bed of the Klamath River
     The dry bed of the Klamath River

    The fishermen -- and the tackle shops, restaurants, businesses that supply fuel and ice, those that buy fish, and other businesses that will be hurt by the near-elimination of the fishing season -- need and deserve federal help during this crisis. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency for ten Northern California counties heavily impacted by the closure, and Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has requested a federal disaster declaration. But so far, no federal funding has yet been secured.

    We need to put pressure on Congress not only to secure immediate disaster relief for these communities, but also to provide the leadership necessary to reverse the decline of the Klamath River and its salmon. This includes measures to ensure that there is always enough water in the river to sustain the fish populations and removing four small outdated Klamath River dams.

    Without a long-term effort to finally solve the environmental problems of the Klamath Basin, the salmon stocks will never truly recover, condemning fishing communities to more fishing restrictions and economic hardship in the years to come.