Saving Seafood

OREGON: Slashed Columbia River funding will be ‘devastating’ for salmon population, Oregon lawmakers warn

July 6, 2026 — A group of Oregon lawmakers are decrying the “sudden loss” of funding for a Columbia River hatchery program — warning Oregon’s fish population will be devastated without the funds.

On Thursday, Democratic Oregon lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate sent a letter to the Bonneville Power Administration, criticizing the agency’s decision to stop funding the Safe Area Fisheries Enhancement (SAFE) program.

The program was established in 1993, providing stocks of hatchery-raised fish such as Spring chinook and coho salmon for commercial and recreational fisheries in the Lower Columbia River Basin.

Read the full article at KOIN

OREGON: BPA funding cut puts 7 million SAFE hatchery salmon at risk, threatens Oregon fisheries

June 22, 2026 — Oregon fishery managers are scrambling after learning the Bonneville Power Administration is ending its share of funding for a key salmon program in the Lower Columbia River, a move state officials say threatens hatchery production and could ripple through commercial and recreational fishing.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said it was notified Thursday that BPA is terminating its share of funding for the Select Area Fisheries Enhancement Program effective Sept. 30, 2026. ODFW said the decision provides barely three months’ notice and carries major consequences for Oregon’s commercial and recreational fisheries.

Read the full article at CBS2