Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

Background Information

The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to the restoration, conservation, and enhancement of native wild silver (Coho) salmon and steelhead populations and their coastal and marine habitats from San Mateo to the south Monterey Bay area. The Project is also dedicated to the enhancement of the King (Chinook) salmon population in the Monterey Bay waters. The Project is involved with public education and is concerned with the development of habitat restoration projects. The MBS&TP works to achieve improved water quality and flow.

The publicly supported Project was founded in 1976 by Dr. Tom Thompson of the University of California Sea Grants Program. Beginning with 1400 fish reared by a few citizens in a small private pond, the MBS&TP has grown to where it involves many concerned individuals, and organizations centered in the Monterey Bay area and extending into San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito counties.

The MBS&TP operates a hatchery and a number of fish rearing facilities to make it possible to preserve the unique genetic integrity of the south coastal area small-stream wild salmon and steelhead trout. The Project currently has the capacity to rear over 200,000 salmon and steelhead for release into local river systems. Over 1.9 million juvenile silver salmon and steelhead have been released in area streams since the inception of the Project to help restore the severely declining natural runs. An estimated 662,000 Chinook (King) salmon have been reared and released in Monterey Bay waters since 1992 by MBS&TP in order to significantly enhance salmon sportsfishing and commercial fishing.

The Project participates in scientific studies with the University of California campuses at Davis (Sea Grant Advisory Program), Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and San Francisco, and with California State University at San Jose. Projects have included anadromous fish population studies and an investigation of Thryoxin hormone levels in fish as an important indicator of readiness for out migration to the ocean.

The MBS&TP has been involved in habitat restoration projects in conjunction with local groups and city, county, and state agencies. The Project has worked on stream projects with the Santa Cruz County Watershed Rehabilitation Department and has participated in lagoon improvement projects sponsored by the Coastal Conservancy and the cities of Capitola, Santa Cruz, and Watsonville.

Since 1989, the Project has released several thousand steelhead trout for about 2,400 disabled children at the Easter Seals camp near Boulder Creek. In past years fish have been released at the YMCA camp, as well, on the San Lorenzo River for the enjoyment and education of economically disadvantaged children. Also, since 1995, the Project has provided steelhead trout to the Camp Evers recreation site for a fishing program for Scott's Valley area children. The Project has made annual contributions of juvenile salmon and steelhead for the freshwater display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The success of the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project is based on public participation and the extensive use of volunteer labor from local and adjacent areas. The Project seeks to create a broad awareness of the habitat and water problems of these dwindling resources and the need for conservation and restoration.

Educational programs for the general public and the initiation of an elementary through high school level Salmon and Trout Education Program (STEP) are major MBS&TP activities. More than 77,000 children have participated in Project classroom courses. Students study salmonid life-cycles and habitat requirements. They hatch Project-supplied fertilized eggs and rear the fish to fry size in chilled aquariums designed and provided by MBS&TP. This program has been recognized as a model in thematic teaching. The Project curriculum has been widely distributed throughout the state.

The Project trains volunteers in anadromous fish aquaculture and gives them an opportunity to participate in the restoration of our coastal fisheries. Other educational programs involve presentations to groups and displays at public events.

In addition to the thousands of children in local charitable camps and children's recreation areas that are provided fishing opportunities and the 77,000 children given STEP educational programs, the MBS&TP impacts approximately 20 angling clubs and groups with a total of about 1,700 members. Local service group participants total approximately 500 individuals. The Project serves approximately 4,000 unaffiliated anglers that use these coastal streams. However, other intangible benefits are produced for the very large numbers of people that take advantage of general recreational uses of these rivers and streams. The value of a live stream with healthy self-sustaining fish populations cannot be underestimated.

The Project is unique because it is the only organization performing this scope of work on the south-central coast.

Funding and donations to support these efforts are solicited from the public, interested individuals, service, sportsman and angling groups, local business and national corporations, foundations and from local and regional agencies. Unfortunately, since late 1995, the State no longer provides funding support for the Project's Coho and steelhead activities.

The Monterey Salmon and Trout Project was created and incorporated in the State of California on February 10, 1977. The Project has been classified as a 501(c)3 organization and is nonprofit, tax exempt, and tax deductible. It has the same status with the State of California.