Another rescue at sea

by Rick Attig, The Oregonian

Surely the thousands of West Coast fishermen and their families in Oregon, Washington and California suffering from the collapse of salmon runs deserve the $170 million in aid coming their way this fall.

Of course, they need the help. But what they really need is more fish. Over time, the federal government and Congress must recognize that it makes more sense to spend scarce federal dollars to restore salmon runs in former salmon strongholds like Oregon's Klamath River, than it does to keep killing fish in badly abused rivers while sending inadequate checks to West Coast fishermen every few years.

As The Oregonian's Michael Milstein reported, Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez issued a fishery disaster declaration in May and Congress appropriated the $170 million in disaster relief in July. This latest West Coast fishery disaster is largely blamed on unusually warm ocean conditions that damaged the marine food chain. But it is also true that overall salmon stocks are struggling because of problems at scores of rivers along the West Coast, most notably the Klamath.

Ocean conditions have improved, but fisheries biologists are warning that stronger chinook runs aren't likely for several years.

That means the rolling disaster that is the West Coast salmon fishing industry is likely to return again and again.