U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating funding for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund – a program that directs tens of millions of dollars annually toward supporting salmon populations along the West Coast.
The cut is part of the Trump administration’s planned cuts to NOAA; preliminary fiscal year 2026 budget documents outlined a USD 1.3 billion (EUR 1.1 billion) reduction to NOAA’s overall budget. Now, additional budget documentation released by the federal government shows which programs will be impacted by that cut, and salmon recovery efforts are one of the major government programs on the chopping block.
For fiscal year 2026, the Trump administration is proposing zero funding for the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund, a program established in 2000 to help restore Pacific salmon populations in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. Since its inception, the program has provided USD 1.9 billion (EUR 1.7 billion) in funding for salmon recovery efforts, with roughly USD 99 million (EUR 87 million) allocated in fiscal year 2025 alone. Over the years, that money has helped state and Tribal governments fund 16,000 salmon recovery projects, restoring and protecting roughly 1.2 million acres of spawning and rearing habitat.
Despite the federal resources spent on helping salmon populations recover, fish stocks remain at low levels. California was forced to cancel its commercial salmon season for the third year in a row this year, while northward fisheries continue to suffer from low abundance.
Trump’s move to eliminate salmon recovery funding ...
