Salmon fishing disaster declared

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez made the declaration in a conference call with governors and lawmakers from the two states. The move means that members of Congress can proceed with up to $80 million in aid that has been stymied for lack of a declaration.

Much of that aid could come as grants to more than 1,500 chinook salmon fishermen and the businesses that support them. Until now, the federal government has offered only low-interest loans, which haven't been very useful to fishermen already struggling with their debts, said Mike Stiller, president of the Santa Cruz Commercial Fishermen's Association. 

"If they're talking grants, then now they're talking real disaster relief as far as I'm concerned," said Stiller, a commercial fisherman since 1979. "We have a lot of members who just got into the business that are hurting badly. I've never seen the prospects as bad as they are this year."

The disaster declaration affects 700 miles of coastline between Cape Falcon in Oregon and California's Point Sur. Commerce Department research in July showed this region had suffered direct losses of $16 million so far. It estimates salmon boats will land only 12 percent of the fish they have averaged over the past five years.

State officials have sought the declaration for months. On Thursday, they expressed relief that it has finally come.

"Despite this massive step forward, there is still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done to help these families get back on their feet and restore one of Northern California's most important industries," Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said in a statement.

In his declaration, Gutierrez said the disaster is "due primarily to natural causes," citing a Klamath basin drought between 2001 and 2005.

But many fishermen trace the disaster to 2002, when the Bush administration boosted farm-water diversions from the Klamath River against the advice of its own biologists. Critics say the resulting low river flows contributed to the death of more than 40,000 chinook trying to swim upriver that fall to spawn.

Salmon normally return to spawn within three to five years. By 2005 it became clear that returning Klamath fish would be sharply reduced. Catch limits were imposed that year, followed by much tighter limits this year.

The cutbacks have been frustrating for fishermen because salmon that originate in the Sacramento River are relatively abundant. But fish from both river systems mingle in the ocean, so the only way to protect Klamath chinook was to curtail all fishing.

"The tragedy is, this should have been one of those banner years because we have had such good production out of the Sacramento River," said Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.

Without significant disaster relief, he said, "We're going to lose some fishermen, particularly the younger ones who have boat payments and house mortgages and young children."

The events of 2002 were just one of the Klamath River's problems. For starters, the river is blocked by dams owned by PacifiCorp that lack fish ladders. The reservoirs are a breeding ground for toxic algae and other parasites that threaten both fish and people.

The algae, called Microcystis aeruginosa, this week reached unprecedented concentrations, prompting a health warning by Siskiyou County.

Testing by the Karuk Tribe found algae concentrations nearly 4,000 times greater than what the World Health Organization considers a "moderate health risk," said tribal spokesman Craig Tucker.

"It's kind of unquestioned that the dams are creating this kind of perfect scenario for this algae to bloom," he said.

Tribes, fishermen and environmental groups want the dams removed, and last week they got a hopeful sign from PacifiCorp. The Portland-based utility is in the midst of a lengthy federal dam relicensing process. On Aug. 2, company President Bill Fehrman said PacifiCorp would not oppose dam removal "as long as our customers are not harmed."

Grader hopes some disaster relief funds will be spent not just to help fishermen, but to fix the Klamath River. Otherwise, he fears, more disaster declarations lie ahead.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said a relief package would likely include a restoration plan for the Klamath.

"We have a very sick river system that needs a significant amount of investment, or this will just happen again and again," he said.