Environmental History & Activism: Local and Regional Resources: Whatcom County Development History

Up to the 1970s, salmon canning, then frozen and fresh fish markets proceeded at a breakneck pace. That decade, though, proved to be one of crucial change. By that time, most of the salmon canneries were gone. Fishers, commercial and sport, still pursued the catch, but environmental, legal, and political factors constrained them. Salmon stocks had begun a clear decline, but isolating the definitive causes eluded researchers then as well as today. Fishers fought over the shrinking supply, especially in the courts. During that decade, Native Americans and state governments clashed in the federal courts. The 1974 "Boldt Decision" that apportioned up to half the harvest to Native Americans did not lessen the controversy. Salmon, once a symbol of plenty in the region, became an emblem of Native-white conflict, a sign of environmental degradation. Such issues have not been laid to rest. The 1998 listing of certain salmon stocks as endangered affects urban dwellers of the region who must now consider lawn fertilizers, parking lot run-off, sewer discharge, new construction, and hydro-electric power. Legislation designed to protect salmon in urban environments may have as dramatic an effect there as the protective laws levied against farmers, loggers, and miners.