Governor Gavin Newsom and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis announced a request for a Federal Fishery Disaster Declaration to support impacted fishing communities. This request and the recommended season closure will protect salmon populations and support the fishing industry.
These actions build on Governor Newsom’s Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future to address this decades-long crisis and rehabilitate these populations. The Newsom Administration and Legislature have already spent over $800 million in the past few years to protect and restore salmon populations, and the federal government allocated $20.6 million following last year’s disaster declaration request.
Acting Governor Kounalakis, on behalf of Governor Newsom, submitted the request to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo after the Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended a full closure of California’s commercial and recreational ocean salmon season. If approved, the Federal Fishery Disaster Declaration would provide needed relief to impacted communities for a second consecutive season.