Coho Protections

[Darian]

Noticed an article in yesterday's LA Times that reported a new decision by a federal court Judge in Oregon has issued a ruling holding that the federal government had erred by designating Coho Salmon in California as endangered. This same judge issued a similar ruling for Oregon Coho, earlier.

The apparent basis for the decsion was the inability to establish a divergance in genes between hatchery and natural spawned Coho. On the positive side, the judge did not lift the protections afforded Coho; giving the feds some time to establish differences before the protections expire. Perhaps the solution to this is not the differences but demonstration of the damage to the gene pool caused by in-breading in Hatcheries......


This decision appears to be an ongoing part of the recent court ruling in reimbursement of the cost of water diverted from farmers/water distributors.

Hopefully, the fed's will get their act together and find some way to solve this issue. There will undoubtedly be more to follow on this.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I hear people catching Silvers/Cohos on the Rogue and Klamath now in September.

The Trinity River has been having a hatchery run of Silvers and Kings in the late summer/early fall for years now.

I do hear that they are working on getting Silvers/Cohos back into many rivers in CA. It is wonderful for us fly fishers because they will take a fly and do jump.

The King Salmon have been the focus of the commercial hatchery system in Nor Cal for the past 50 years or so. They did not work with the Silver/Coho because it was not as desireable as the King Salmon for commercial uses.

Very exciting stuff.

[Darian]

Hi Bill,..... Thanks for the update. I was unaware of any hatchery activity for Silvers in California. I was confused as to why a federal Claims Court Judge would issue a ruling on Silvers when Kings were the emphasis of our hatchery programs. That provides some clarification......

I share your excitement about restoring Coho/Slivers to this state. I can recall many days fishing the tidewater of short coastal rivers from Santa Cruz to Mendocino Counties for Coho during the late 60's/70's/early 80's. Lotsa good memories.....