September 2010 is Salmon Month at San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay! Sponsored by the SalmonAID coalition (of which the Institute for Fisheries Resources is a member), Salmon Month will feature exciting activities all month long, tabling by member organizations, plus a standing poster and video exhibit.Below is an impressive list of Salmon Month activities:

• September 1 - Go Wild Gala featuring sustainably harvested wild salmon prepared by the Bay Area’s best chefs and a panel discussion on the State of our Salmon.
• September 10 - Meet the Fishermen featuring acclaimed writer and Alaska Fisherman, Bill Carter and several of our own local fishing heros.
• September 11&12 - Film Days from the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival.
• September 15 - Salmon Cinema and Storytelling Circle with cocktail reception.
• September 19 & 20 - Kids Weekend with games, activities and stories.
• September 26 - SalmonAID Outdoor Music Festival

The SalmonAID coalition brings together more than two dozen conservation, commercial and sportfishing organizations as well as the West Coast’s best restaurants in order to educate the public about wild salmon and the perils they face across our coast. This wide-ranging coalition motivates citizens to take actions that protect our amazing wild salmon and the rivers they call home. Join us during Salmon Month to help support restoration of wild salmon and wild rivers!

For more information or to donate to SalmonAID, visit the website here: www.salmonaid.org

In efforts to protect salmon and steelhead, the IFR and other conservation and fisherman’s groups sued the Washington state Department of Ecology on Thursday June 3, 2010 to allow more water to spill over dams along the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

The lawsuit’s goal is to lift some of Washington’s Department of Ecology standards on the amount of dissolved gases in water. Water spill over dams can cause high levels of dissolved gases in rivers, so allowing for more gases in water will allow for more spill over the federal dams. And releasing more water over the dams - rather than running it through turbines - improves salmon’s chances of surviving their migration.

Earthjustice filed the lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court on behalf of the Institute for Fisheries Resources, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, the Association of Northwest Steelheaders, and Idaho Rivers United.

The IFR is pleased to be a part of the 25+ groups from Norway, Canada, Chile, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, UK, and the US to participate in this Tuesday 16 February global launch of “Farmed Salmon Exposed - The global reach of the Norwegian salmon farming industry.”

Follow the link below to watch this highly anticipated 4 part film now!

Farmed Salmon Exposed -The global reach of the Norwegian salmon farming industry

Please share this with your friends and family!

A herring boat brings in a haul. Image courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Game.

The California Fish and Game Commission voted to close the commercial herring fishery for the first time ever.  The herring catch in the Bay has been steadily declining for years.  Only 506 pounds were landed in 2008, down from a peak of 11,496 in 1996-97.  Read more about the closure and who will be most affected in this article.

Paul Johnson, Zeke Grader, Jane Lubchenco, Pietro Parravano, and Sara Randall gather around freshly grilled sardines.

Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Dr. Jane Lubchenco visited San Francisco and stopped by the IFR offices for a seafood barbecue.  Paul Johnson of the Moneterey Fish Market generously donated wild and local albacore, squid, and sardines for the festivities.

Click to read Zeke Grader’s San Francisco Chronicle editorial

New: Check out this article from edible SAN FRANCISCO magazine about the unique–and uniquely satisfying–process of sourcing your own local, seasonal seafood Fresh Off the Boat.

Then visit IFR’s own Local and Seasonal Seafood page to learn more!

Click here to read a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

The group below Cape Horn Dam at the Van Arsdale Fish Station

AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project members planned and organized two watershed restoration tours in November of 2008 through a grant from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. The first tour, on November 6th, focused on the impact of low flows on the Eel River. The second tour, on November 19th, focused on maintaining private lands while protecting public trusts. More information on both tours can be found on the Watershed Restoration Tour page.

President Bush Praises One of Our Own

President Bush praised Pietro Parravanno, President of the Institute for Fisheries Resources, at the opening ceremony of Sant Ocean Hall in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C. on September 26, 2008.

President Bush closed his speech, which related to the U.S. Ocean Action Plan, by praising Pietro’s accomplishments as a fishermen and longtime fisheries and conservation advocate. He thanked Pietro, noting that “[o]nly in America … you can make a difference in your communities; it’s just not all that hard.” The full speech is available on the White House’s website. Congratulations, Pietro!