The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is terminating its share of funding for the Select Area Fisheries Enhancement (SAFE) Program in the lower Columbia River.
BPA, a division of the U.S. Department of Energy, said it is providing a three-month notice that will create an estimated US$2.4 million gap for its SAFE program partners: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Clatsop County.
“This decision by BPA caught us by surprise,” said ODFW director Debbir Colbert. “It puts decades of fishery reform work at risk and goes against the recommendation of the regional fish and wildlife managers and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to fund this work.”
State lawmakers, under the Oregon Coastal Caucus, published an open letter of appeal to BPA’s acting administrator and CEO, Robin Furrer, on July 1. The letter outlined that the abrupt loss of funding will likely result in a loss of seven million Chinook and coho salmon currently being raised for release.
State Rep. Cyrus Javadi, D-Tillamook, told Oregon Public Broadcast that pulling this funding could deepen the strain on the fishing industry at a time when many are hampered by extensive regulations, high fuel costs and more. He said the industry’s struggles could have ripple effects, increasing costs on families and businesses alike.
According to ODFW, the sudden loss of funding will significantly impact Oregon state’s commercial and recreational fisheries, including:
- Major disruptions for SAFE hatchery fish releases to provide predictable, sustainable harvest;
- Immediate operational and financial strain on state and county partners who have no viable short-term replacement for the withdrawn BPA funds;
- Risk to ongoing reforms designed to shift commercial harvest away from the mainstem and protect weak and ESA-listed stocks.
“SAFE is a cornerstone program that provides terminal, ocean, and mainstem harvest opportunities, supports living-wage jobs in coastal communities, provides forage for critically endangered southern resident killer whales, and reduces pressure on vulnerable Columbia River stocks. Pulling funding with almost no notice undermines stability for both fishery managers and commercial and recreational fishers,” said Tucker Jones, ODFW’s Ocean Salmon & Columbia River program manager.
ODFW, WDFW, and Clatsop County are jointly assessing the potential impacts. The agencies will also be briefing state leadership, affected communities, and fishery stakeholders in the coming days. ODFW will share more information as the agency learns more.