May 21st marked the second annual World Fish Migration Day. The day reminds us that finding a balance between the needs of people and migrating fish is critical. Healthy rivers support healthy fish populations as well as agriculture, wildlife and people. Our Southern California Conservation Program Manager, Candice Meneghin, explains why migrating fish deserve recognition in the opinion column of the Ventura County Star.
Pollution and overfishing have played a role in the decline, but research shows the No. 1 reason these native fish are struggling is their inability to access the upper reaches of the watershed. Migrating, or anadromous, fish like salmon and steelhead have an instinct to lay and fertilize eggs in the same streams where their predecessors spawned. When they can’t access these streams and creeks, reproduction plummets.
Improving fish passage increases long-term survival prospects. Salmon and steelhead have soared on the Elwha River in Washington state since the Elwha Dam was removed several years ago. While dam removal may not be possible everywhere, improving fish passage over dams and diversions can go a long way in helping populations to recover.
Click to read the full column and learn what Candice, CalTrout, and the Santa Clara River Steelhead Coalition are doing to promote fish passage.
Sign up to hear from California Trout! CalTrout’s mission is to ensure healthy waters and resilient wild fish for a better California. Hear about our work and how to get involved through our monthly newsletter, The Streamkeeper’s Blog, “Trout Clout” action alerts, article from our e-magazine, The Current, event invites, and much more! We respect your privacy and will never sell or share your information with other organizations.
Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.