Consumer access to Columbia River salmon has a rich history. As early as the 1820's the Hudson Bay Company and others purchased salmon from local Tribal fisherman, salted the fish in barrels and shipped them either to the East Coast or to Hawaii. As native fishermen fell to "white man's" diseases, their place was taken by immigrants. The first gillnet fishing on the Columbia took place in the mid 1850's even before the states of Washington and Oregon were founded, and before the Indian treaties were signed.

The first Columbia River cannery was operated by the Hume family at Eagle Cliff, Wahkiakum County, Washington in 1866. Cannery development peaked in the 1880's with 39 canneries operating in the lower Columbia River.

As the fishery grew, the fishing industry became proactive on behalf of the fish resource. Before the turn of the century, the industry called for the formation of fish commissions to regulate harvests. It lobbied heavily for including fish ladders at Columbia basin dams built in the 30's and 40's. In the 50's, they blew the whistle on pulp and paper mill waste dumping into the Columbia.

In recent years, industry members have attended hundreds of meetings and served on scores of committees, commissions and councils meeting to solve the Columbia salmon crisis.

Oregon takes pride in its pioneer spirit, and the tenacity of the small business person. This may be the reason the mural in the Oregon State Capitol Rotunda proudly depicts the logger, the farmer and the Columbia River gillnetter as those who were the most instrumental in building a strong economic base on which Oregon could grow and prosper.


The photo shows Jalmer Wilson of Astoria with a chinook salmon weighing 82 1/2 pounds caught on May 26, 1936 in the ship channel opposite Flavel Dock.

Salmon for All Began in 1958 when legislation was proposed that would have eliminated the Columbia River fishery and deprived consumer access to these fish which are paid for by all the public. Over the years there have been other efforts in both states to do the same thing. each time, however, the bills were defeated because legislators understood that all the public, not just those who sport fish, must have access to the fish resource for which their tax dollars pay. They also understood that eliminating the commercial industry would mean loss of jobs and needed state revenue. The Columbia River commercial fishery generated over $32,000,000 in earned income in 1988. This includes not only fishermen, but processors, buyers, marine and auto parts suppliers, banks, and shippers and truckers, to name but a few.


Back to the main page