‘We need water in our rivers’: Tribes call for action as salmon numbers dwindle

April 29, 2021

As the state prepares for another year of drought, California tribes, environmental advocacy groups and fishermen are calling upon Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Biden administration to direct state resources to provide water to protect California’s dwindling salmon populations.

During a virtual State of the Salmon address on Wednesday evening, Save California Salmon tribal water organizer Morning Star Gali criticized the state’s decision to prioritize farmers over salmon.

“During the last drought, California prioritized almond and alfalfa producers over salmon and killed over 90% of winter-run salmon within the Sacramento River and over 90% of juvenile salmon also died in the Klamath River,” Gali said. “We are at a time again where we are facing impending fish kills. Emergency flows from the Trinity River did stop an adult fish kill in the Klamath during the last drought. … We cannot let the salmon die again.”

Amy Cordalis, Yurok tribal member and attorney for the Yurok Tribe, said the state of salmon in the Klamath River “has never been worse.”

“Our salmon are in the poorest condition they’ve ever been in and that’s hard as a tribal person to even say, to even acknowledge because that hurts us to our core,” Cordalis said. “Many people know that the Klamath River was once the third-largest salmon producing river in the whole west … now it’s very hard to acknowledge that there are hardly any fish left.”

Between 70% and 95% of juvenile salmon have been killed by a parasite called Ceratonova shasta in the last five years, Cordalis said

“We need water in our rivers,” said Regina Chichizola, policy director for Save California Salmon. “During these droughts and during this time that all these baby salmon and young salmon and adult salmon have been dying or not coming back, we’ve seen the planting of almonds expand in areas where there is no water and water has to be taken and diverted from rivers.”

In a prerecorded video, North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) echoed Gali’s fears and urged tribal communities to speak up and call upon their representatives to take action.

“As you all know very well, climate change is pushing us and our precious salmon stocks to the brink,” Huffman said. “Even if farmers, fishermen, tribes and agencies were to do everything right, we still have some tough times ahead this year. There’s just so little water to go around, juvenile fish on the Klamath River are already feeling the strain of disease and it’s unclear how returning adult fish are going to fare this fall.”

Huffman acknowledged that there is little to do in the face of extreme drought but vowed to work with state and federal lawmakers to bring financial relief to local tribes.

“We have a fantastic new Interior Department Secretary, Deb Haaland. I’ve worked closely with her in the House of Representatives, she’s a fierce champion for the environment and for wildlife and I know that she will take these issues seriously,” Huffman said. “… I’m going to be asking her to appoint a Klamath czar, a high-level operative who can make quick and important decisions as we navigate this year and in the coming seasons. … I’m also looking at other ways to provide equitable relief to tribes who rely on salmon but often find themselves waiting years for relief while farmers and others are compensated for lost production immediately.”

Caleen Sisk, Chief of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe equated dwindling salmon populations to a canary in the coal mine.

“Regardless of what the science is, the rivers must have the salmon to produce more water for everybody,” Sisk said. “It’s like ignoring the miners canary, just keep doing what you’re doing and digging the gold and taking it out while the canary is dying. You’re next. That’s what the salmon are telling us now.”

Save California Salmon will hold a day of action to stop California salmon extinction on May 4 with a rally at the state capitol at noon and an online rally at 1 p.m. More information on the day of action and a video of the State of the Salmon conversation can be found on the Save California Salmon Facebook page.


By:  ISABELLA VANDERHEIDEN
Source: Eureka Times Standard