Fish: Chinook and Coho salmon.

Existing law establishes the Salmon, Steelhead Trout, and Anadromous Fisheries Program Act to protect and increase the naturally spawning salmon, steelhead trout, and anadromous fishery resources of the state. Existing law defines anadromous fish as fish that spawn in fresh water and spend a portion of their lives in the ocean. This bill would add legislative findings and declarations to the act. The bill would proclaim and reaffirm a legislative goal of restoring Chinook and Coho salmon populations to sustainable levels, sufficient to support viable recreational, commercial, and tribal fisheries, and to make substantial progress within the next decade toward meeting this goal. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature, in implementing this goal, that the department utilize the best available science in determining where to focus and prioritize conservation planning efforts for recovery of Chinook salmon and other salmonid species. The bill would also designate the Chinook salmon as the official state anadromous fish.