August 9, 2019 9:30 a.m.
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced a federal grant of just over $26,000 to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for its program to improve environmental conditions for whales off the Oregon coast by reducing the risk of whales getting entangled in fishing gear.
Wyden said that “Oregon has a proud history of conservation, and fishing is the lifeblood of our coastal community’s economies”. He said the investment is a win-win on both fronts: protecting threatened whales and ensuring that Oregon’s fisheries continue to thrive.
Merkley said the funding is “critical to maintaining the health of our waters, while ensuring that Oregon’s fishing industry can support families in coastal communities for generations to come”.
The release said two years ago, Oregon Sea Grant convened a multi-stakeholder working group at the request of Oregon fisherman to reduce the risk of whale entanglements in Dungeness crab and other fixed gear in Oregon and along the entire west coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant will continue the efforts by gathering valuable spatial data on both whale migration and fishing patterns to minimize interactions between the two. The release said that information can be used by the ODFW staff to guide future management decisions to protect threatened whales and ensure the continued stability of Oregon’s coastal fishing industries.