FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2025
Contacts:
Cat Kaiser, Golden State Salmon Association
503.686.0914 | cat@goldenstatesalmon.org
Andrea Pook, East Bay Municipal Utility District
510.287.0145 | andrea.pook@ebmud.com
200,000 Baby Salmon To Be Released in Richmond Tonight
Local Youth to Witness Release from the Water — a First Boat Ride and Conservation Lesson Rolled into One
SANTA ROSA, CA — Tonight, the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA), in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), the City of Richmond, and the Richmond Police Activities League (RPAL), will release 200,000 juvenile salmon from the shoreline at 1500 Dornan Drive into the waters of Richmond. Local youth from Richmond PAL will ride aboard the Salty Lady, a charter fishing vessel owned and operated by Captain Jared Davis, to observe the release up close — for many, it will be their first time ever on a boat.
“This is what partnership looks like,” said Scott Artis, Executive Director of GSSA. “From the City of Richmond to CDFW to EBMUD to the Salty Lady and Richmond PAL — everyone came together to help save salmon and inspire the next generation. This event is a real win for both kids and fish.”
The release is part of a coordinated statewide effort to give Mokelumne Fish Hatchery-raised salmon a better shot at survival by trucking them closer to the ocean. This Richmond location, first identified by GSSA and approved in collaboration with the City of Richmond in 2022, offers significant survival advantages over traditional upstream release sites due to its proximity to the Golden Gate and open ocean.
“This release of young salmon here in Richmond not only bolsters their survival to the ocean but gives youth the chance to see first-hand what it takes to nurture and protect this species,” said EBMUD Board Director Joey D. Smith. “We’re grateful to work with the Golden State Salmon Association and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to make these releases happen so we can study the benefit of Richmond harbor releases to the ocean fishery, the local community and the species as a whole.”
The event merges education, access, and hands-on environmental awareness. Richmond PAL youth will board the Salty Lady at 7:30 PM, the CDFW fish transport trucks will arrive at 8:00 PM, and the salmon are expected to be released at approximately 8:45 PM. The youth will return to the Richmond Marina around 9:30 PM, where media are welcome to conduct interviews.
“This is about more than fish,” said Cat Kaiser, GSSA’s Operations and Events Director. “We’re giving local kids — especially those who might not otherwise have this kind of opportunity — a front-row seat to salmon restoration. It builds a connection to place, to nature, and to the idea that they have a role to play in protecting California’s fishery and waterways.”
The salmon release is now an annual event in Richmond, made possible through close collaboration between nonprofit, state, and local partners. While the 200,000 young salmon begin their journey to the sea, the Richmond youth witnessing their release begin their own journey of salmon conservation awareness and stewardship.
MEDIA INVITE:
Media are encouraged to attend the release at 1500 Dornan Drive. Interviews with representatives from GSSA, CDFW, and youth participants will be available. Youth will return to the Richmond Marina Harbormaster Dock (1340 Marina Way South) around 9:30 PM.
About GSSA:
The Golden State Salmon Association (www.goldenstatesalmon.org) is a coalition of salmon advocates that includes commercial and recreational salmon fishermen and women, businesses, restaurants, native tribes, environmentalists, elected officials, families, and communities that rely on salmon. GSSA’s mission is to restore California salmon for their economic, recreational, commercial, environmental, cultural, and health values.
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