Group urges consumers to avoid Ore. salmon

PACIFIC CITY, Ore. - A prominent, sustainable seafood watchdog group has warned consumers to not eat Oregon salmon because there are too few chinook originating from California’s Sacramento River.

The warning comes from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s popular Seafood Watch guide and is another hit to the state’s salmon fishermen.

It’s been two years since fishermen have been able to fish for salmon because of low runs. But last April the Pacific Fishery Management Council approved fishing for chinook and coho salmon from the Canadian border to Mexico.

Some local fishermen said they disagreed with the guide’s reasoning.

“Mother Nature herself actually regulates and cycles those runs all the time. One river’s always low,” said fisherman Craig Wenrick.

The executive director of the Oregon Salmon Commission, Nancy Fitzpatrick, emphasized the fact that Oregon’s salmon fishing is federally managed and said the government wouldn’t allow salmon fishing if there were too few fish.

She called the guide’s decision to “red list” Oregon salmon irresponsible.

“I was amazed, totally amazed,” she said. “This is the first year fishermen have been able to go out and fish and I was appalled, actually.”

At Cape Kiwanda RV Resort and Marketplace, tourists come from all over to buy fresh, wild Oregon chinook. And when one tourist from California was told that her dinner had been “red listed” she said she wouldn’t buy anymore salmon.

“I’ll eat other kinds of seafood while I’m here,” she said. “But I won’t buy any more salmon while I’m here because of that.”

Other consumers said they’ll wait and see what the research shows and if wild salmon are really in danger.

“But I do agree, that we need to vote with our dollars that we spend at the grocery or in any market,” said Nanette Colby.

According to Seafood Watch, consumers who want to eat wild salmon should buy fish from Alaska and if that’s not available, shoppers should purchase fish caught off the coast of Washington.