WSC Press Release:

NOAA Fisheries Lists Puget Sound Steelhead ESU as Threatened

Statement by Dick Burge, VP of Conservation for the Wild Steelhead Coalition May 7th, 2007 Contact: Dick Burge, 360-765-3815, Nate Mantua, 206-616-7041, or Rich Simms, 425-750-4639

Kirkland, WA – The Wild Steelhead Coalition praised the ESA listing as Threatened with Extinction determination by NOAA Fisheries as an important step in protecting the region’s depleted wild steelhead populations. This extraordinary trout species is born in Washington’s rivers and streams, then migrates to the ocean, traveling as far as the Russia coast, to feed and grow to as large as 30 pounds before returning to their native Puget Sound rivers to spawn. Steelhead are the Washington State fish, and they have been an icon of the Pacific Northwest and a source of important cultural and economic benefits throughout the region’s history. Puget Sound’s wild steelhead are highly sought after by anglers, and steelhead fisheries provide significant income to many small communities in the region. The Wild Steelhead Coalition has worked tirelessly with state and local agencies to improve protections for wild steelhead and steelhead fisheries since 2000, and fully supports NOAA’s determination as being based on solid scientific evidence. Dick Burge of the Wild Steelhead Coalition made the following statement: “Puget Sound’s wild steelhead have been in steep decline for decades. In the past twenty years we’ve seen formerly productive runs fail year after year. Decades of degraded habitat, poor hatchery practices, and misguided harvest management have to be addressed to turn the declines around. It is time for action. “We sincerely hope that the ESA listing will focus attention on the habitat and ecosystem issues that have led to the region-wide declines in the abundance of Puget Sound’s wild steelhead. Improved fishery management is not enough. Puget Sound’s rivers and streams must be restored for wild steelhead to thrive. Reliance on steelhead hatcheries to replace wild fish has proven to be a failed experiment, and hatcheries are likely causing substantial unintended harm. The entire Puget Sound steelhead hatchery program must be overhauled to restore Puget Sound’s wild steelhead.” “The Wild Steelhead Coalition looks forward to working with federal, state and tribal governments to recover this remarkable species in its native rivers of Puget Sound.” To learn more about Wild Steelhead, visit http://www.wildsteelheadcoalition.com