June 24, 2026 — Federal disaster relief funding is on the way for California’s struggling salmon fishing industry after years of closures and restrictions tied to low salmon return numbers.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced $123 million in fishery disaster funding for California, Oregon and Alaska to help mitigate losses from poor salmon returns that forced widespread closures.
James Stone, president of the NorCal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association, said California’s salmon fishery has been devastated and described the state’s role in seeking disaster assistance.
“And it is the design for the state of California to file an emergency disaster for that publicly trusted resource,” Stone said.