Friday June 14, 2024
Sacramento News and Review —
Commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast of California was banned for the second year in a row in April due to low numbers of salmon. The Chinook salmon, which enter the Sacramento River system on four runs throughout the year, have been declining for decades due to pollution, water management, dams and drought.
With salmon decreasing and fishing off the California coast banned, Save California Salmon is dedicated to helping restore and protect salmon and rivers.
Save California Salmon is a nonprofit organization built on creating community power around water issues in Northern California while also working to save salmon through advocacy for policy change. The organization is run by Native American people from California and has an entirely Indigenous board.
According to Executive Director Regina Chichizola, the organization began in 2017 and was born out of the movement to remove the current dam on the Klamath River. SCS works to advocate for salmon through public testimony, rallies, education nights, and other measures related to the importance of saving the species and supporting tribes. It also developed its own free curriculum on environmental and Native American issues for schools from kindergarten to 8th grade, according to Chichizola.