After conducting snorkel surveys for more than 25 years, Wild Fish Conservancy has learned a lot about steelhead populations’ status, trends, and the number of hatchery fish that stray into wild rivers.
Contacts:Emma Helverson, Wild Fish Conservancy, 484-788-1174, [email protected] McMillan, The Conservation Angler, 360-797-3215, [email protected] Knutsen, Kampmeier & Knutsen PLLC, 503-841-6515, [email protected] For Immediate ReleaseSeptember 12, 2025PDF
Through two significant legal actions, we are holding the federal government accountable for its responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)— one of the most effective tools we have to prevent extinction, but it only works when it’s enforced..
In a disappointing ruling for Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections, a Ninth Circuit Court granted a request by NOAA Fisheries, the State of Alaska, and the Alaska Trollers Association to continue overharvest of threatened Chinook salmon that is jeopardizing critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
In an international, coastwide environmental victory, Seattle federal Court issued a landmark order halting the overharvest of Chinook salmon in Southeast Alaska that has persisted for decades, jeopardizing the survival of federally-protected Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW) and wild Chinook populations coastwide. This significant decision will immediately allow the starving Southern Resident population far greater access to these Chinook which are the whale’s primary prey, marking a turning point for their recovery.
Today, WA Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz announces new commitment to exploring zero-discharge, land-based aquaculture facilities as an alternative to open water net pens.
Wild Fish Conservancy staff recently submitted comments to the Pierce County planning department on a draft Environmental Impact Statement regarding a proposed geoduck aquaculture project
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives released text of the draft reconciliation bill revealing Congress is on track to make the largest investment in northwest hatchery infrastructure on record that could cause irreparable damage to wild fish populations and to endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
Research is underway at Oregon’s first fish trap in over 70 years on the lower Columbia River. At present, Wild Fish Conservancy biologists and our
We are thrilled to announce that Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) has installed the first fish trap in the Columbia River, Oregon since 1948. That’s right,
Despite ongoing litigation and timing questions regarding the lease for the facility, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has granted fish farming giant Cooke Aquaculture a permit to stock its Hope Island facility in-water net pens with steelhead.
Fishing in Pacific Northwest Would Be Limited if Salmon Population Drops
In an historic moment in late-April 2021, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind officially announced the agency will designate an
Washington state is taking an historic step forward to legalize fish traps for sustainable commercial fishing on the Columbia River. This week, Washington Department of
Washington state is taking a historic step forward to legalize fish traps for sustainable commercial fishing on the Columbia River.
Proposal would breach the four lower Snake River dams at the cost of suspending bedrock environmental laws and exposing communities across the Columbia River basin to environmental and health hazards.
By Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy A momentous decision awaits the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) this month as the
Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is pleased to announce the beginning of a new adventure on the lower Columbia River! This winter, pilings were driven in
We’re holding Cooke Aquaculture responsible for Endangered Species Act violations resulting from their net pen operations.
A publication recently released in BioScience suggests that a return to historical Indigenous fishing practices and systems of salmon management may be key to revitalizing
A new publication co-authored by WFC’s Adrian Tuohy suggests that a return to historical Indigenous fishing practices and systems of salmon management may be key to revitalizing struggling Pacific Salmon fisheries across the North Pacific.
WFC and our partners are appealing our challenge of Washington’s steelhead net pen authorization to Washington’s Supreme Court.
