Learning from Success: The Oregon Coast Coho Recovery Model

This is the fourth in a series of posts examining ODFW funding challenges and Native Fish Society's recommendations for reform. Check back for our final post on our strategic reform recommendations, and read all the posts in this series here.

As we consider how to reform ODFW funding and budget priorities, we have a powerful success story right here in Oregon that demonstrates a more effective approach to managing our fisheries. The recovery of Oregon Coast coho salmon provides not just hope, but a practical blueprint for how strategic investments in conservation can yield remarkable results.

The Oregon Coast Coho Success Story

Oregon's experience with Oregon Coast coho salmon recovery stands as a testament to what can be achieved when management priorities align with conservation needs. As noted in the Governor's Recommended Budget for the 2025-2027 biennium:

"Oregon's 20+ year effort to recover Oregon Coast coho is an example of what investing in conservation strategies can yield... A combination of factors (past harvest and hatchery practices, habitat degradation, poor ocean productivity) was largely to blame for Oregon Coast coho being listed under the ESA in 1994. As Oregon took action, significant investments were made in harvest and hatchery reform, habitat restoration, and monitoring to reverse declines and gauge success." (emphasis added)

This success didn't happen by chance—it resulted from deliberate policy decisions and strategic investments. The recovery effort included developing sustainable fisheries that balanced harvest with conservation needs, making substantial investments in habitat restoration to address root causes of decline, and perhaps most significantly, shifting away from widespread coho hatchery releases with a 98% reduction in hatchery production.

The Results Speak for Themselves

The outcomes of this strategic approach have been remarkable. In the past 15 years, the agency has recorded the three largest spawner returns since surveys began in 1950—a clear indication that the approach is working. Oregon Coast coho have rebounded to the point where modest fisheries are now allowed, providing economic benefits to rural communities while moving steadily toward delisting under the federal Endangered Species Act.

This recovery model demonstrates that conservation-focused investments can yield both ecological and economic benefits—a powerful lesson that should inform our approach to other species and watersheds across the state. Rather than continuing to pour resources into an unsustainable hatchery-centric approach, the Oregon Coast coho recovery shows that strategic investments in habitat and careful management of hatchery impacts can create more resilient wild populations that better support both ecosystem health and fishing opportunities.

As we advocate for reform in ODFW's funding structure, the Oregon Coast coho success story serves as both inspiration and practical guidance for a more sustainable path forward.