Golden State Salmon Association

Description

Golden State Salmon Association is a member-based organization that advocates for the conservation and restoration of California’s salmon and their rivers and coastal habitats.

It works on behalf of commercial and recreational fishermen, fishing businesses, charter boat operators, river guides, tribes, restaurants and coastal communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy salmon runs. Its programs cover water policy, hatchery improvement, habitat restoration and experiential education for students. It advocates for stronger state and federal water and fish policy, mobilizes members to act against water mismanagement, and uses litigation to defend salmon and the fishing industry.

It works with state and federal officials, regulatory agencies, conservation groups, fishing clubs, tribes and legal organizations to improve water flows and temperatures for salmon, upgrade fish hatcheries, and restore spawning and rearing habitat, including floodplain and side-channel restoration. It also gives disadvantaged and inner-city students hands-on fisheries learning experiences, such as hatchery releases and ocean fishing trips.

The organization began in 2010 in San Francisco as the Golden Gate Salmon Association, founded by commercial and recreational salmon fishermen, and took its current name in 2019. It operates in California, with its fishery supporting jobs and communities in California and Oregon.