It’s a monumental win for orca conservation, yet a blow to men and women who rely on Chinook salmon to earn a living.Hundreds of fishermen, like Washington’s Paul Olson, rely on that fishery to make a living.
Wild Fish Conservancy, the group that brought the lawsuit, has spent years researching and fighting for this moment. Emma Helverson, executive director of Wild Fish Conservancy, noted that her organization has been working on this since she was in high school. Since other whale populations that have different pretty have overcome similar habitat problems, the lack of food is considered the linchpin that will make or break the species.
"This is the biggest action we’ve seen that will result in more adult fish being immediately available to these endangered whales." "We’re just hoping we can go fishing," he said. "This dock is full of trollers. There’s roughly 300 to 400 trollers. When you lose access to Chinook salmon, which is 40- to 50-percent of our annual fishery income, it’s a risk to your career."