Steelhead numbers keep falling, but there is optimism for a local…

Yakima Herald – Opportunities to fish for steelhead in the Yakima Basin remain a distant dream as populations continue to decline. Cooperation between groups working together to bring back the iconic oceangoing rainbow trout may be at an all-time high, allowing them to reach spawning areas inaccessible for decades. But poor ocean conditions and low survival rates of outgoing Read More…

Enriched environment in aquaculture enhances the survival of fish…

University of Jyväskylä – Cooperative study conducted by University of Jyväskylä and Natural Resources institute Finland (Luke), revealed that enriched rearing of juvenile fish significantly enhances the survival of fish from bacterial infection commonly seen in rearing conditions. That may also improve the post release survival of the fish after stocking into the wild. The study has Read More…

Does eating less Chinook salmon help endangered orca whales?

KUOW – It’s been about a year since some local businesses decided to stop selling chinook salmon as a way to help ailing orca whales. But does it really help? It might be a small step, but for PCC Community Markets, the decision was in line with what customers and members expect of the co-op, said CEO Cate Hardy. “They trust that we have made decisions that are not just Read More…

Here’s How That Internet-Famous ‘Fish Tube’ Works

Smithsonian – Over the past few days, the internet has unleashed it’s collective wit on a video of the “salmon cannon,” a gadget that is used to transport migratory fish, primarily salmon, over and around dams blocking their way. While slinging fish upriver using a pneumatic tube is kind of funny, it’s also a legit piece of conservation equipment that may help to restore Read More…

After 10 years of fight, county admits defeat

Taft Midway Driller – The county’s aggressive litigation strategy involved retention of one of the nation’s preeminent natural resource lawyers to advance its legal argument that the common law Public Trust Doctrine does not apply to the county’s issuance of ministerial well construction permits in Scott Valley, according to a press release. In July of 2019, the County of Siskiyou Read More…

First-ever mandatory water cutbacks will kick in next year along the…

AZ Central – Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will be required to take less water from the Colorado River for the first time next year under a set of agreements that aim to keep enough water in Lake Mead to reduce the risk of a crash. The federal Bureau of Reclamation activated the mandatory reductions in water deliveries on Thursday when it released projections showing that as of Jan. 1, the level Read More…

What’s killing all the rockfish?

WUSA 9 – Extreme heat, above average flows of polluted runoff, and heavy catch-and-release fishing pressure by sportsmen this summer has Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources trying to get fisherman to go home during the worst times -- or find a species besides rockfish to catch on the summer’s hottest days. The Department has unveiled a color-coded on-line fishing advisory Read More…

Going Fishing for Ghost Gear

Hakai Magazine – Throughout a fishing career that has spanned many decades, José Festas has spent countless hours and euros searching for lost nets. “It’s a huge problem,” says Festas, today the president of Portugal’s national fishermen’s association. Lost nets cost time and money—and waste the lives of fish when they get “caught with no one to pull the net.” These Read More…

Iconic Sturgeon of Great Lakes, Mississippi River Take Step Toward…

Center for Biological Diversity – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it will consider Endangered Species Act protection for lake sturgeon. Today’s positive finding responds to a 2018 Center for Biological Diversity petition seeking safeguards for the big fish. The agency found listing the sturgeon as threatened or endangered may be warranted based on threats from dams Read More…

Govt looks to ease Mekong dam impacts

Bangkok Post – The Department of Fisheries will roll out a number of measures to help cushion the impacts of dam construction in the upper reaches of the Mekong River on Thai fishermen. Department chief, Adisorn Promthep, said the measures will entail further diplomatic coordination with Laos -- which hosts most of the dams -- and stepping up existing conservation efforts. "We need to Read More…