California's Coho Salmon Breathe a Sigh of Relief

USSFN:  2/05/04 - The California Fish and Game Commission approved the Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) Coho Salmon Recovery Strategy at a special session on Wednesday, and then proceeded with the process for listing coho salmon.

In late August 2002, the Commission made the finding that populations of coho salmon from San Francisco to Punta Gorda in Humboldt County warranted listing as an endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act. In addition, the Commission found that the populations of coho salmon from Punta Gorda north to the Oregon border warranted listing as a threatened species. At that time, the Commission directed DFG to prepare a recovery strategy for coho salmon, and delayed the regulatory action by which coho would be added to the endangered species list while DFG prepared the recovery strategy.

DFG developed the Coho Salmon Recovery Strategy with a variety of stakeholders and constituents. The Coho Salmon Recovery Strategy provides a blueprint for the recovery of coho salmon in California, helping to revive struggling coho populations and restore their habitat. Ultimately, the implementation of the Recovery Strategy will lead to the removal of coho salmon from the California Endangered Species List as well as lead to the restoration of tribal, commercial, and recreational coho salmon fisheries.

"The success of this recovery strategy depends on the long-term commitment of us all," said DFG Director Ryan Broddrick.

DFG worked with two recovery teams - a statewide team, and a local team focusing on agricultural water and land uses in the Shasta and Scott river valleys in Siskiyou County. These teams are composed of representatives of a variety of interests including landowners, environmental organizations, commercial and recreational fishing, and tribal, federal, state, and local governments.

The Recovery Strategy is complex and lengthy, containing 13 chapters in over 700 pages of text encompassing more than 750 recommendations with more than 1,000 recovery tasks.

Contacts: Stephanie Tom Coupe, DFG Staff Counsel, (916) 654-3830; Gail Newton, Program Manager, (916) 327-8841t