Steelhead Country – Episode 1: Past, Present and a New Future from Wild Steelhead Coalition on Vimeo.
Kudos to the Wild Steelhead Coalition for setting up the new Steelhead Country site; here’s a bit from the landing page-
For generations Washingtonians have been raised with a fishing rod in their hands and a love for steelhead in their hearts. This passion has proven infectious and inspired anglers from all corners of the globe to make the pilgrimage to the state’s famed waters in search of wild grey ghosts. But while the allure of Washington’s official state fish – the wild steelhead – continues to grow, regrettably stocks have suffered the opposite fate, as their numbers have plummeted to a fraction of their once great abundance.
Washington’s continued status as “Steelhead Country” is anything but certain. In the early 20th century up to a million wild steelhead returned to Washington’s Puget Sound each year. Scarcely 100 years later, and that number has been reduced to a gut wrenching 14,000 wild fish – a 97-99% decline! There are a number of factors behind the steep decline in steelhead abundance. One of the most damaging has been lax fisheries regulations that allowed the killing of far more wild fish than was sustainable.
It’s well past time for Steelhead Country to move towards a more sustainable, conservation-oriented management model for wild steelhead, one that preserves our angling heritage while also helping restore and sustain wild runs for future generations.
They’ve already release two videos (above and below), another pops on the 3rd, with three more to follow.
They’re also spearheading a petition drive to corral effort to get things moving with more velocity and impact than we seen for decades in the Northwest – click over and learn more about it here.
Git ‘er done.
Steelhead Country – Episode 2: Perspective from Wild Steelhead Coalition on Vimeo.
