Oregon Coast Coho: a Bright Spot for Salmon Recovery 

A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finds hopeful signs for some threatened salmon and steelhead populations, with Oregon Coast coho, in particular, called out as “a bright spot for salmon recovery.” The WSC-managed Coast Coho Partnership is working up and down the coast on dozens of highly-targeted habitat restoration projects—some specifically highlighted in NOAA's report. “While there’s still work to be done, this report tells us we’re on the right track,” says WSC Coastal Programs Director Mark Trenholm. “Coast coho recovery is within our reach.”

Why We're Working to End Open Net-Pen Fish Farms in British Columbia 

This summer, Canada’s Department of Oceans and Fisheries made gains toward its promise to end open net-pen salmon farming—a practice widely known to harm wild salmon—by closing 19 operations near British Columbia's Discovery Islands. Yet public statements from Minister Joyce Murray now appear to walk back some or all of that promise. That’s why we're joining forces with Watershed Watch Salmon Society to supercharge efforts to transition B.C. away from salmon farms by 2025. “The technology and expertise is there to transition to a closed containment or land-based model,” says WSC's Dr. Will Atlas. “It’s time for the government to step up and do its job of protecting wild salmon.”

Fresh Funding for the Cold Water Connection Campaign Project Pipeline

We're thrilled to see nearly $570,000 in grants from Washington State's Salmon Recovery Funding Board going to our partners Quinault Indian Nation, Trout Unlimited, and the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition for fish passage projects in the Sol Duc, Bogachiel, Hoh, and Quinault watersheds. Our Cold Water Connection Campaign groundwork is increasingly leveraging large grants like these. "Stronghold protection and restoration takes all of us working together for the greater salmon good," says WSC Fish Habitat Specialist Betsy Krier. (Read more here about our Cold Water Connection Campaign.)

Meet Dr. Tasha Thompson

What fascinates Dr. Tasha Thompson isn't so much the size or shape of a salmon—but rather its genes. As Wild Salmon Center's first Polsky Science Fellow, she's literally cracking the code of wild salmon genetics. For the next two years, she’s dedicating her time to a project of unprecedented scope: creating a range-wide whole-genome database for both Chinook salmon and steelhead. It's a dream project for this leading salmon conservation science scholar—one that could unlock rafts of promising new conservation strategies across the North Pacific.

The mission of the Wild Salmon Center is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wild salmon ecosystems across the Pacific Rim.

Photo/image credits (from top): Oregon Coast coho salmon (Paul Jeffrey); British Columbia open net-pen fish farm (Tavish Campbell); Washington's Hoh River (John Gussman); WSC Polsky Science Fellow Dr. Tasha Thompson conducting field work (Rob Perkin, Connect Outfitters); Fly fishing (Alamy). 

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