U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating funding for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund – a program that directs tens of millions of dollars annually toward supporting salmon populations along the West Coast. The cut is part of the Trump administration’s planned cuts to NOAA; preliminary fiscal year 2026 budget documents outlined a USD 1.3 billion (EUR 1.1 billion) reduction to NOAA’s overall budget. Now, additional budget documentation released by the federal government shows which programs will be impacted by that cut, and salmon recovery efforts are one of the major government programs on the chopping block. For fiscal year 2026, the Trump administration is proposing zero funding for the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund, a program established in 2000 to help restore Pacific salmon populations in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. … California was forced to cancel its commercial salmon season for the third year in a row this year, while northward fisheries continue to suffer from low abundance.

Other salmon fishery news:

• E&E News by Politico: Lawmakers clash over NOAA fisheries rules
• Action News Now (Chico, Calif.): California’s ocean salmon season to briefly reopen after two year hiatus
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife: News release: Ocean salmon season opens this weekend along California coast