Rivers of a Lost Coast

• Posted on 12/25 at 12:39 AM

Merry Christmas!

"He told us about Christ’s disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman."

-Norman Maclean

Blog Dec. 25th, 2008

Steelhead in the Classroom

Humboldt County, CA. After thinking the program was all but dead, the CDFG has decided 'Salmon in the Classroom', one of California’s most important fish and wildlife education programs, will be back for another year.

'Salmon in the Classroom' is a program that introduces students to salmon and steelhead, through interactive in-classroom rearing. With oversight by the teacher, students observe steelhead as they develop from eggs into young smolts. Watching the eggs hatch and emerge as fry, students follow the progress of the small fish until they are ready to be released into local area streams and rivers.  Proponents of the program argue 'Salmon in the Classroom' provides crucial interaction with nature and biology at a time when young people are being bombarded with constructed digital information.

Ethan Heifitz, a retired teacher and past participant of 'Salmon in the Classroom' will help new teachers in Humboldt County prepare for the program. Ethan a long time fan of the program, still has former students approach him to say that raising steelhead was one of their best school experiences. "And it’s something that can be used as a means to approach other subjects. It’s just an amazing springboard for everything else."

We couldn’t agree more. During the production of Rivers of a Lost Coast, it was remarkable to see how anglers' perceptions and ideas about steelhad and salmon changed and matured with age. Time after time, the interviewees explained how steelhead and salmon fly fishing gave them a greater appreciation for the beauty and importance of life. 

We are glad to see the Humboldt County "Salmon in the Classroom" will continue to introduce young students to the wonders of our steelhead and salmon.

Eureka Times-Standard article by John Driscoll "Salmon program officially on track for January"

Posted by roalcadmin on 12/25 at 12:39 AM in Conservation • (0) Comments • Permalink

• Posted on 12/22 at 11:59 AM

Smith River Salmon Stronghold

During the research for Rivers of a Lost Coast we spent an incredible amount of time in the archives of the California State Library. Few things were more valuable than the complete collection of “Forest and Stream Magazine” ("Forest and Stream” was the 1800s precursor to the modern “Field and Stream"). The pages of “Forest and Stream” were filled with countless enjoyable accounts of early western sporting, but one of the pieces that always stuck with us was an editorial written in the late 1890s by a Pacific Coast salmon fisherman. He was writing in response to the notable wildlife conservation success of Yellowstone National Park. The writer saw the need to set-aside key wildlife habitat to ensure the future health of wildlife populations. He used the success of Yellowstone to suggest a similar action be taken for our Pacific Salmon. Unfortunately, the novel idea never gained much steam.

Yet today, over a century later, it is great to see we are finally starting to protect the key watersheds that provide crucial habitat to the health and vitality of our salmon populations. In a great piece of news, the Smith River, California’s last great refuge for Chinook Salmon received an official “salmon stronghold” designation. This designation, which provides federal support and resources for collaborative, high-value conservation projects, is the first of its kind in California.

You can read more about this important announcement at the Smith River Alliance website.

Posted by roalcadmin on 12/22 at 11:59 AM in Conservation • (1) Comments • Permalink

• Posted on 12/17 at 05:42 PM

Extinction

It’s no surprise to anyone who is familiar with our California Rivers, fish populations are a small fraction of historic levels.  You’ll hear it from the older generation, “things aren’t what they used to be.  You could walk across their backs, the fish were so thick.” It’s hard for those of us who haven’t seen it with our own eyes but the photographs and records are proof; the fish were plentiful and endless.

But according to a new report issued by Peter Moyle, distinguished fisheries professor at the University of California at Davis, many of our native steelhead and salmon face extinction within the next 50 to 100 years.  At the top of the list, Klamath River Coho and Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead.

As stated in our film Rivers of a Lost Coast, the finger cannot be pointed at one single culprit.  The massive problem we face with our fisheries stems from a fusion of many issues.  Dams, over-fishing, habitat-loss, water diversions, genetic-tampering, the list goes on.

Habitat restoration has proven an effective tool in restoring native fish populations.  The problem is the conflict with human nature and our tendency to grow, expand, and deplete the resources around us.  We have to start asking some important questions and making some significant changes as far as our environment is concerned.  What do healthy watersheds and ecosystems mean to us?  How important are they?  Are they more than just trees, rivers, and animals?  I invite your thoughts.

Link to the original report written by Peter Moyle, Joshua Israel, and Sabra Purdy.
California Trout Report

Posted by roalcadmin on 12/17 at 05:42 PM in Conservation • (4) Comments • Permalink