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 Spirit of the Salmon
Economics of Fish Restoration
Estimated Average Annual Investment to Implement Tribal Fish Restoration Plan, 1996-2001
Watershed restoration and fish production
(tributary spawning and rearing) | 42,981,000 |
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Capital construction, including drawdown modifications
(mainstem juvenile and adult passage) | 214,527,000 |
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Lamprey and sturgeon
(enhancement measures at various life stages) | 2,301,000 |
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Institutional--watershed teams and law enforcement
(mainstem and tributary) | 6,114,000 |
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| Total estimated average annual cost* | $265,923,000 |
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Economic Benefits of Salmon Restoration
To tribal economies, the salmon demise has meant the loss of personal income in the billions of dollars so far. Under the tribal plan, the economic value of restored fisheries would amount to an estimated $98 million in personal income each year for tribal communities. The commercial fishing industry in the Northwest has estimated the potential harvest value of salmon restored to historic run sizes to be $500 million in annual personal income. For the tribes, the cultural and spiritual value of salmon is immense, yet its value cannot be represented in dollars.
Can the region afford anadromous fish restoration?
The annual costs of salmon restoration are estimated to be only one half of one percent of the region's annual personal income. When this investment in salmon recovery is compared to the projected profit from the Columbia River federal hydroelectric system, it is small indeed: Potential electric power profits are forecast to be as high as $2 billion each year after 2016, as the effects of energy deregulation and market changes take their course.
The region's electric ratepayers have repeatedly said they support salmon recovery. However, what they and the nation's taxpayers may not realize is that they have been subsidizing activities (see below) that contribute to salmon mortality. Consumers, shareholders and voters must insist on an end to business-as-usual and instead redirect public and private expenditures to sustainable activities that protect and restore salmon and the natural environment on which they depend.
The recommended investment in salmon recovery amounts to about one-half the total of the following annual taxpayer and regional ratepayer subsidies:
| Aluminum industry discounted power rates | 215,000,000 |
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| Power purchases from WPPS | 60,000,000 |
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| Irrigated agriculture, water and power discounts | 160,000,000 |
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| Columbia waterway operation and maintenance | 67,000,000 |
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| Below-cost timber sales | 31,000,000 |
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| Foregone mining royalties | 76,600,000 |
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| Discounted grazing fees | 5,000,000 |
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| Total of these subsidies | $614,600,000 |
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Clearly, the region can afford to recover its anadromous fisheries. Together Indians and non-Indians must find the political and spiritual will to accomplish salmon restoration. Our region's well-being depends on healthy ecosystems that are able to support both cultural and biological diversity.
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Good words are of no use until they amount to something.
Chief Joseph, Nez Perce
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