Wild Salmon River Expeditions

TCA IS TO CONSERVE FUNCTIONING SALMON/STEELHEAD ECO-SYSTEM AT WATERSHED LEVELS; INTEGRATE ANGLING ACTIVITIES WITH BASIC SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, COLLECT RAW DATA, MONITOR ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTIONS, SALMON/STEELHEAD POPULATION DYNAMICS, PUBLIC EDUCATION, PROVIDE LOGISTIC SUPPORT FOR FIELD WORK IN REMOTE LOCATIONS, PROVIDE ANTI-POACHING SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE CONSERVATION ETHIC AND SUSTAINABLE ECO-TOURISM, PUBLIC EDUCATION.

KAMCHATKA STEELHEAD PROJECT, DUE TO COVID, THE CONSERVATION ANGLER AND MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY WERE UNABLE TO CONDUCT NORMAL FIELD OPERATIONS. TCA AND MGU INSTEAD, MOUNTED AN ANTI-POACHING OPERATION TO PROTECT CONSERVATION GAINS REALIZED OVER THE PRECEDING 28 YEARS - TWO FISHERIES BIOLOGISTS, FOUR ARMED FISH INSPECTORS, FOUR SUPPORT STAFF

OLYMPIC PENINSULA WILD STEELHEAD ARE IN STEEP DECLINE OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS. TCA HAS WORKED CLOSELY IWTH WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE TO MODIFY MANAGEMENT REGIMES, REDUCE RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL HARVEST, SET ESCAPEMENT REQUIREMENT, PARTICIPATED IN NUMBER COMMISSION AND WORKING GROUP MEETING, DATA MINING.

THE NORTH UMPQUA COALITION CONSISTING OF NATIVE FISH SOCIETY, OREGON COUNCIL OF FLYFISHERS INTERNATIONAL, PACIFIC RIVERS, THE CONSERVATION ANGLER, THE NORTH UMPQUA FOUNDATION, THE STEAMBOATERS, TROUT UNLIMITED AND UMPQUA WATERSHEDS FORMED IN JANUARY 2021. COLLECTIVELY WE DETERMINED THAT OREGON SHOULD MANAGE THE NORTH UMPQUA AS A WILD STEELHEAD WATERSHED WHICH WOULD BECOME THE ONLY RIVER IN OREGON MANAGED FOR BOTH WILD WINTER AND SUMMER STEELHEAD. THE COALITION FOCUSED ITS ADVOCACY ON EDUCATING THE OREGON FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION ABOUT THE WILD SUMMER STEELHEAD, THEIR ICONIC STATUS AS A GAMEFISH PURSUED BY ANGLERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, AS WELL AS THEIR INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY AND UNIQUE LIFE HISTORY ATTRIBUTES WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THEIR FUTURE SURVIVAL.

THE CONSERVATION ANGLER ADVOCATES FOR THE PROTECTION AND RESTORATION OF WILD FISH AND THE RIVERS AND ESTUARIES SUPPORTING THEM. MANY FACTORS ADVERSELY AFFECT WILD FISH AND SOME LAY BEYOND OUR IMMEDIATE CONTROL. TCA FOCUSES ITS MULTI-FACETED ADVOCACY ON TWO WE CAN CONTROL: HARVEST AND HATCHERY MANAGEMENT.OSPREY JOURNAL - REVENUE $20,680; EXPENSES $25,580 THE OSPREY: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SALMON AND STEELHEAD CONSERVATION PUBLISHES THE LATEST SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, POLICY, NEWS, AND OPINION ABOUT WILD PACIFIC SALMON AND STEELHEAD CONSERVATION. OUR PARTNERSHIPS MAKE THIS POSSIBLE AND THE CONSERVATION ANGLER WORKS WITH FLYFISHERS INTERNATIONAL, THE FLY SHOP, WILD STEELHEAD COALITION, WORLD SALMON FORUM, SKEENAWILD, THE STEELHEAD SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, WILD FISH CONSERVANCY AND INDEPENDENT SCIENTISTS AND WRITERS. THE OSPREY ADVOCATES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF WILD STEELHEAD AND SALMON STOCKS AND THE RECOVERY OF DEPRESSED POPULATIONS. THE OSPREY IS GOVERNED BY AN EDITORIAL AND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND A COUNCIL OF INTERNATIONALLY PROMINENT SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS PROVIDES EDITORIAL GUIDANCE.COLUMBIA AND SNAKE - REVENUE $61,043; EXPENSES $48,447 WILD STEELHEAD RETURNING TO THE MOST PROLIFIC STEELHEAD AND SALMON RIVER ON THE WEST COAST RUN A GAUNTLET AS THEY RETURN HOME. ONE OBSTACLE WE CAN EASE OR REMOVE IS HARVEST. TCA'S GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE ENCOUNTER RATE ON WILD STEELHEAD BY PROTECTING REFUGE AREAS AND REFORMING FISHING REGULATIONS ALONG THE WAY. CATCH AND RELEASE BY ITSELF IS NOT ENOUGH TO PROTECT WILD STEELHEAD BOUND FOR RIVERS SUCH AS THE WIND, KLICKITAT, DESCHUTES, JOHN DAY, WENATCHEE, CLEARWATER, SNAKE AND GRAND RONDE. WILLAMETTE RIVER STEELHEAD - REVENUE $13,567; EXPENSES $10,766THE WILLAMETTE IS OREGON'S LARGEST WATERSHED AND HOME TO WILD SPRING CHINOOK, WINTER STEELHEAD AND NUMEROUS WILD TROUT POPULATIONS. HOWEVER, ITS PRODUCTIVITY HAS BEEN HAMSTRUNG BY 14 FLOOD CONTROL AND HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS AND FAILING MITIGATION EFFORTS. TCA IS WORKING ALONGSIDE OTHER CONSERVATION GROUPS TO REFORM FLOW REGIMES AND REMOVE HARMFUL HATCHERY STEELHEAD PROGRAMS.NATURAL RESOURCE AGENCY REFORM - REVENUE $5,770; EXPENSES $4,580THE STATES OF IDAHO, WASHINGTON AND OREGON OPERATE MULTIPLE SALMON AND STEELHEAD HATCHERIES ALONG THE COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVERS WHICH ARE THE PRODUCT OF AGREEMENTS TO TRADE FREE-FLOWING RIVERS FOR HATCHERY FISH. THESE HATCHERIES REPRESENT A FAILED PROMISE A PROMISE MADE BEFORE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT HATCHERIES WOULD FAIL TO REPLACE WILD STEELHEAD AND SALMON. TCA IS WORKING TO REFORM THE MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS AUTHORIZED BY MULTIPLE DAMS AND HATCHERY-BUILDING BOONDOGGLES SO THAT WILD FISH CAN REBUILD THE ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY IN MULTIPLE WATERSHEDS.