Chapter Twenty-four—
The Salmon Stamp Program

Ken Hashagen

California's commercial salmon fishermen make a living off fish that belong to the people of California—your fish and my fish. It's a tough, hard job with long hours under sometimes terrible weather conditions, and the pay isn't great, but those are our fish. Sure, they have to buy a vessel permit and a license, but then we have to have it fishing license to fish for trout or bass, but we can't sell our catch to make a living. How can the Department of Fish and Game let this happen?

Actually, California's commercial salmon fishermen are paying their fair share and more for their use of a public resource. Historically, ocean troll fishermen began fishing for salmon about the first of May and fished until the end of September. They caught and sold as many salmon as they could during the season. There were relatively few boats, and fishing gear was primitive by today's standards.

Then salmon populations began to decline—dramatically—from poor logging practices, which put debris and sediment into the steams; from dam building, which cut fish off from historical spawning areas; from gravel mining, which removed spawning gravels; from road building, which increased sedimentation and damaged spawning gravels; and from more people fishing and using more sophisticated boats and gear. Because of this decline, the California Department of Fish and Game began a program in the late 1970s to

reduce the size of the salmon fishing fleet; it also shortened the length of the fishing season in an attempt to reduce the commercial and sport catch, which would allow more adult salmon to return to the rivers to spawn.

When your livelihood is threatened, it's time to take action, and the commercial salmon fishermen did. As a group, they requested the legislature to pass legislation that would, in essence, tax them. Assemblyman Barry Keene authored AB 2956 in 1978; his bill required each person fishing commercially for salmon to purchase a salmon stamp costing as much as $30 each year. The money collected was used to rear one million yearling chinook salmon. The legislation required the Department of Fish and Game to match the trollers' contribution by rearing and releasing an additional one million yearlings each year. This innovative piece of legislation has accounted for at least sixteen million additional salmon released into the ocean for the use of both commercial and sportfishermen and, as well, return to the river for spawning.

Pleased with this program and not content to rest on their laurels, the trollers requested additional legislation in 1982. Mr. Keene introduced SB 782, which increased the cost of the initial stamp by $55. This augmented stamp had a provision that raised the cost of the stamp by $10 for every 250,000 pounds of salmon landed the previous season in excess of six million pounds. The cost could not exceed $215 per year. The funds collected were placed in a special account in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund and could only be spent for new or expanded salmon restoration and enhancement projects. A committee of four commercial salmon fishermen and one representative from the department met periodically to develop an annual program to expend these funds.

The program was reviewed and approved by the director of the department and included in the department's annual budget. Passed in April 1982, this legislation was scheduled to end January 1, 1987. In this five-year period, the dollars generated (approximately $2.7 million) funded many worthwhile projects, including the following.

Expansion of Yearling Chinook Facilities at Mokelumne River Fish Facility.

This two-year project included construction of an additional yearling pond, cementing of two ponds, construction of a

"bird cage" to exclude herons and gulls, and a cover for the water aerator to control algae. A new feed truck was purchased and operating costs were paid annually. This facility can now raise two to three million more subyearling chinook salmon than before the renovation.

Trinity River Yearling Chinook Program.

A total of $50,000 was used to rear five hundred thousand yearling chinook at Trinity Hatchery for the Klamath/Trinity river system in 1983–1984.

Construction of a Trap for Squawfish at Red Bluff Diversion Dam.

Since the construction of the Red Bluff Diversion Dam in 1966, large numbers of squawfish congregate below the dam and prey on downstream-migrating salmon reared in the river or released from Coleman National Fish Hatchery. The trap is used to reduce numbers of squawfish during their spring spawning migration past the dam. Juvenile steelhead also benefit from the reduction in squawfish numbers.

Construction of a Permanent Fish Ladder and Trap at Iron Gate Hatchery.

This new ladder and trap were first used in the fall of 1984 and worked beautifully, greatly increasing the ability of the hatchery to trap and hold adult chinook and coho. Before construction of the new ladder and trap, salmon had the choice of entering a short wooden ladder and trap at the hatchery outfall or passing the hatchery and attempting to find the poorly designed entrance to a trap at the dam. The wooden trap was operated only during daylight hours because of safety considerations; the new one operates twenty-four hours a day. Hatchery personnel estimate that well over fifty percent of the 1984 run which reached the hatchery area entered via the new ladder, a far higher percentage than ever used the other two traps.

Technical Assistance for Fish Culture Projects.

A full-time fish culturist is paid for by Salmon Stamp funds to provide technical assistance to all public mini-hatcheries and pond rearing programs in California. He makes recommendations on the operation of the various facilities and disease treatment and organizes a spawning workshop each fall for new personnel.

Operation of Thermalito Afterbay Ponds.

These ponds, built as an annex to Feather River Hatchery, have the capacity to rear an additional six hundred thousand chinook yearlings annually. The ponds (actually raceways) were built as a cooperative DFG/DWR project. The Salmon Stamp Fund annually pays for five-sixths of the operating costs necessary to rear the additional fish.

Klamath/Trinity River Hatchbox and Pond Rearing Project.

Two sites (Horse Linto Creek and South Fork Salmon River) have been developed to trap returning adult salmon, spawn them, hatch the eggs, and rear the resultant fry to release. This project, funded the last four years, has excellent potential; however, low chinook runs have limited the project's opportunities to trap fish and operate the facilities at capacity.

Construction of Hollow Tree Creek Weir.

Hollow Tree Creek is a tributary of the South Fork Eel River. The weir has been "temporary" for many years. Funds were used to build concrete structures for wooden dam boards in the new weir/dam, a fish ladder and trap, and a basket system to move adult fish to a holding area. Fiberglass tubs will be used to hold both adult fish and the resultant fry. A small one-room "house" was built for the personnel manning the trap and caring for the fry. Projected capacity is four hundred thou- and chinook eggs annually.

Upper Klamath River Habitat Restoration Projects.

The Salmon Stamp Program funded a number of projects in the upper Klamath River drainage, including placement of spawning gravel at Bogus and Beaver creeks, removing a rock barrier on the South Fork Salmon River, construction of five small fishways around diversion dams in the upper Shasta River, removal of a one-fourth-mile-long logjam in Mill Creek, construction of screens for two unscreened diversions, and rechannelization of lower Shackleford Creek to concentrate and deepen flows.

Purchase of Miscellaneous Hatchery Equipment.

These purchases include a fish transport tank/trailer, incubators, refrigeration units, and filters.

Production of Salmon Restoration Video.

The Salmon Stamp Program funded production of two videotapes. One is directed at the commercial salmon fishermen to show them what their stamp funds have paid for and what the benefits of this program have been. The other video shows a wide variety of salmon restoration projects in California (not just those funded by the trollers) and will be directed throughout the West on public television to educate the public on the need for restoration and about the programs under way.

These projects and the funds generated for them indicate a substantial commitment by the salmon trollers to their industry. There is still more, however. In September 1986, the trollers renewed the legislation for the stamp program until January 1992, but they lowered the base amount from six million pounds and increased the fees to $12.50 for every two hundred and fifty pounds above the base (from $10). The end result will be even more money available each year for restoration programs. For example, landings last year were over 7.75 million pounds; therefore each commercial salmon fisherman will have to pay $260 to go fishing in 1987 ($30 for the initial stamp and $230 for the augmented stamp). Additionally, and significantly, commercial passenger fishing boat operators, who take sportfishermen out on237 the ocean to fish for salmon, have asked to join the program; they were part of the legislation (SB 2517—Keene) that became law in September 1986.

With the expanded and extended legislation, the Salmon Stamp Committee has continued its active program, providing funding for the following projects:

• Continued funding for the hatchbox/pond rearing programs on Horse Linto Creek and the Eel, Mattole, and Little rivers.

• Continued funding of operational costs at the Department of Fish and Game's Mokelumne River fish facility and Thermalito afterbay ponds.

• Provided funds (approximately $125,000) for purchase of equipment at several department hatcheries, including two 2,800-gallon transport tanks, a fish crowder, bulk feed bins, incubators, tanks, troughs, and a fish pump.

• Continued funding the fish culturist who provides technical assistance to mini-hatcheries and pond rearing programs throughout California.

• Began funding educational projects ($10,000 to $15,000 each year) that provide classroom aquaria, field trips, and teacher curriculum packages for many North Coast elementary schools.

• Funded the construction of a bird exclosure at Coleman National Fish Hatchery near Redding, where birds were eating a significant portion of the salmon production. The committee provided $317,000 to cover half the cost of constructing a permanent weir at Mad River Salmon and Steelhead Hatchery. The weir will direct returning salmon into the hatchery and enable the hatchery staff to take more eggs, rear more fish, and augment the chinook run in the Mad River. Construction is slated for the summer of 1989.

• Provided funding to the Department of Fish and Game to construct a trap for returning chinook salmon near Los Banos on the San Joaquin River. Low fall flows prohibit salmon from migrating out of the San Joaquin into the Merced River and into the department's hatchery. The trap (on Mud Slough) was installed in 1988 and worked well, providing many adults for the Merced facility. Improvements should make it even more effective in coming years.