This grant is directed to the washington department of fish and wildlife to support their efforts to increase the production of salmon that will benefit salmon fisheries, maintain tribal fishing…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife a Project Grant of $1.97 million under the Pacific Salmon Treaty Program (CFDA 11.438) to increase Pacific salmon production and support sustainable U.S. fisheries. The three-year award, effective September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2028, funds efforts to enhance salmon population stability, maintain tribal fishing rights, improve escapement estimates for adult fish returning to spawning grounds, and sustain prey abundance for Southern Resident Killer Whales. These activities directly support the program's mandate to assist states in salmon restoration and fulfill U.S. responsibilities under the Pacific Salmon Treaty by providing administrative management and conservation support.

The grant deliverables support multiple interconnected objectives: increased salmon production benefiting commercial and subsistence fisheries, harvest management informed by population monitoring data, and ecosystem health maintenance critical to marine mammal survival. By stabilizing Pacific salmon populations, the award strengthens coastal maritime employment, supports regional economies, and reinforces the nation's seafood supply chain. The performance location is Olympia, Washington, where the Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains its administrative headquarters and coordinates statewide salmon management operations across hatcheries and field research sites.

This grant is directed to the washington department of fish and wildlife to support their efforts to increase the production of salmon that will benefit salmon fisheries, maintain tribal fishing rights, inform harvest levels based on population size, improve estimates of the number of adult fish that successfully return to their spawning grounds, and maintain prey abundance for southern resident killer whales. This grant aims to stabilize and enhance pacific salmon populations to maintain sustainable U.S. Fisheries, which would provide maritime jobs, support coastal economies, and strengthen our nations seafood supply chain.