California Seeks Federal Disaster Funds Amid 2nd Year of Salmon Fishing Ban

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced April 11 he is requesting a federal disaster declaration, following a decision by federal fishery managers to cancel all salmon fishing off the California coast for a second consecutive year. The request—sent to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo by Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis on behalf of the governor—seeks to offer financial aid to affected communities while aiming to safeguard salmon populations and bolster the local fishing industry, the governor’s office said. In the request, the state anticipates a loss exceeding $47 million due to the closure of the 2024 salmon fishing season. Chinook Salmon enter a tank before they are tagged at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Feather River Hatchery after climbing a fish ladder just below the Lake Oroville dam in Oroville, Calif., on May 27, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) “California is taking action to get our salmon fishing communities the support and relief they need. This request is a critical tool to support impacted Californians, and we look forward to getting families the help they need,” Ms. Kounalakis said in the request....