500,000 Pounds of Salmon

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has provided more than 500,000 pounds of salmon in the form of fillets and fish to northern California families in need in 2004 and early 2005.
 
The salmon came from six DFG hatcheries after the fish had been
spawned. DFG distributes the majority of the salmon either through a
fish processor, American Canadian Fisheries, or directly to Native
American tribes.

Prior to the millennium, DFG handed out the salmon directly to various
food banks, churches, shelters and individuals. But since 2000, DFG has
worked with American Canadian Fisheries, which is approved by the
federal Food and Drug Administration, to receive, process, and
distribute frozen salmon fillets.

"As resource managers, we're proud that as we help complete the life
cycle of these fish, we can also provide food for so many people in
need," said Ryan Broddrick, DFG director.

In some locations, whole salmon are provided to Native American tribes,
for whom the salmon holds cultural significance. More than 40 tribes in
northern California receive salmon, either directly or through
Enterprise Rancheria, a tribal government.

"Traditionally, salmon has been a main staple of our diets," said
Kathy Frazier, tribal administrator with Enterprise Rancheria. "By
working with the Department we maintain our connection to this part of
our heritage while helping to provide nutritious food to families in our
area."
 
Fish designated for processing go to American Canadian Fisheries in
Bellingham, WA, where the salmon are inspected. Those suitable for
consumption are turned into fillets, frozen and packaged. The fillets
are then returned either to hatcheries or to California Emergency
Foodlink for distribution. Salmon fillets are distributed to more than
100 nonprofit organizations and food banks across northern California
and southern Oregon and into the San Francisco Bay Area and San Joaquin
Valley.
 
"There is no charge to the Department, the hatcheries, or the food
banks for the service," said Garrett Reynolds, California division
manager for American Canadian Fisheries. "We pick up the fish, process
it, and then return the edible parts to California in the form of frozen
fillets. The unused eggs, unused meat, and scraps like the tails and
fins are then turned into other products which cover our expenses."
 
American Canadian Fisheries supplies eggs to bait manufacturers, while
turning the rest into either pet food or fertilizer. The company will
deliver the last of the processed fillets to Emergency Foodlink in
Sacramento in the next few weeks.
 
DFG salmon hatcheries receive operational funding from the agencies
whose activities they mitigate for, including: the California Department
of Water Resources, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, East Bay Municipal
Utility District (EBMUD), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and PacificCorp.

Department of Fish and Game Feeds Northern Californians