Citizens Praise Judge’s Decision on Coho Salmon Recovery

In a victory for sound science, a federal judge in Eugene ruled that the National Marine and Fisheries Service (NMFS) can no longer list Oregon coastal coho salmon as endangered. U.S. District Judge Michael R. Hogan ruled that NMFS erred by not including hatchery- bred salmon in determining endangered species listings. The decision has broad implications all across the Northwest as plaintiffs continue to challenge the validity of federal listings of salmon under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Russ Walker, director of Oregon Citizens for a Sound Economy, issued the following statement:

“I want to applaud Judge Hogan for this decision. All over the Northwest we are setting records for salmon returning to spawn, yet there are more than two-dozen salmon breeds listed as endangered. It is about time that someone noticed the faulty logic that NMFS has employed. We shouldn’t be playing political games with ESA listings and people’s livelihoods.

“There is no significant difference, genetic or otherwise, between hatchery and ‘wild’ salmon. Many of these ‘inferior’ hatchery fish have traveled thousands of miles, traversed numerous dams, survived countless natural predators, and have avoided commercial fishing nets – all to be omitted from endangered species listing counts.

“Farmers in the Klamath Basin were denied water by the federal government this year all in the name of these coho salmon. It is my hope that this decision will instill some common sense in federal officials and their dealings with these hard working American farmers in Southern Oregon.”