Despite local sportfishing boat contributions, salmon barbecue attendance down this year

Brian Aldeghi”s birthday wish was a trip to the World”s Largest Salmon Barbecue on his birthday, July 1.

“We didn”t think we would be able to come. Every hotel in town was full. But we got a great room at the Noyo River Lodge overlooking the harbor, the setting, the weather, the salmon, you just can”t beat it,” he said.

The Lake County resident was one of more than 2,700 people who escaped the heat and enjoyed the cool, annual Fort Bragg event in south Noyo Harbor. Although the town was packed, attendance was down from last year. Final figures were not available at presstime.

Aldeghi relished memories of the barbecue since his last trip to the event in the 1970s.

“This is just as good, if not better than 30 years ago. There doesn”t seem to be so much politics or as many politicians as the last time,” Aldeghi said, while working over a huge chunk of marinated salmon on his plate.

When it was pointed out that the barbecue still includes “celebrity chefs” such as Congressman Mike Thompson, Aldeghi thought Thompson was at the event 30 years ago.

“Well, salmon restoration has always been his baby. I think he just got a bill passed this week,” said Aldeghi.

The idea of getting judges, mayors and congressmen involved came from the late Bill Grader, one of the founders of the barbecue, who also created the first marinade.

That recipe was adapted to its current famous flavor by Cindy Silveria”s late father, David Stauer. Silveria said her dad, once the towns” Chevrolet dealer, was famous for his cooking.

“I didn”t know my mom could cook until I was grown,” she said.

While the flavors of marinated salmon, salad and corn at the barbecue have changed little over the past 35 years, the world of salmon and salmon fishing has turned upside down. Commercial fishers once donated the salmon but with a 10-year decline in the industry, recreational fishers picked up the slack. Led by the Fort Bragg sport fishing fleet and a new organization called the North Coast Fishing Alliance, sport fishers donated more than a ton of salmon to the event this year, saving the Salmon Restoration Association more than $20,000, funds that can now be used for hatchery and restoration programs.

“We had about 2,700 people who enjoyed locally-caught salmon while over 100 volunteers set up, served up and cleaned up at the best salmon barbecue in the world,” reported Salmon Restoration Association President Joe Jansich.

Janisch said the attendance was down by about 200 compared to last year. He felt the high cost of gasoline probably kept people away from the event.

Mike Williamson, long a key player in the barbecue effort, is now a leader of the North Coast Fishing Alliance. He said the demise of salmon fishing caused by water diversions on the Klamath River was at the top of most people”s minds this year.

“Everybody seems to be in our court this year,” he said. Williamson said people were inspired by the can-do-it attitude of the North Coast Fishing Alliance and are hopeful the Klamath issue can be resolved.

Because of low returns of salmon to the Klamath, which winds through Southern Oregon and Northern California, the entire West Coast salmon fishery has been severely restricted.

Jim Martin, an SRA board member and leader of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, told about innovative solutions that may come to pass on the Klamath River, such as the dam removals long sought by environmental and Native American groups.

Also, baby salmon may be trucked around parasite ridden areas of the river to increase survival.

However, any solutions undertaken this year will take at least three years to have an effect — the time it takes for salmon to grow up.

“Next year we are going to have another problem with Klamath, in fact it could be worse,” Martin said.

Some of those eating barbecued salmon wanted to avoid politics at such a fun event.

Adam Louie, 2, was enjoying his first piece of salmon. He and his parents have been on a five-week camping excursion from their home in central Canada and had never heard of Fort Bragg. They were celebrating Canada Day, which the barbecue landed on this year. The event, which is intended to celebrate the 4th of July, suffers when the weekends get too far from the holiday, which was Tuesday this year.

“We just came into town to camp and saw the signs. This is an awesome event for a small town,” said Adam”s mom, Pam Bell.

JoAnna Feola makes a point of coming to the barbecue each year with her husband, Ken, and two young sons, Talen and Blane, who were enjoying the flavor.

“This is our big day for salmon every year. But we don”t want to think about any of that political stuff today,” she said.

The politics, however, may have even changed the size of the pieces enjoyed.

Pat Ford, who has been a volunteer chef for decades from the Ukiah Rod and Gun Club, was one of several cooks who noted some bigger pieces of fish than ever this year, which he attributed to some lunkers donated by the sport fishers. Salmon purchased from Alaska in past years apparently had been gleaned of the trophy fish.

Rep. Mike Thompson enjoys salmon fishing but has been too busy in Congress to go in a few years. He could spot silver salmon (coho) that hit his grill amidst big piece of king salmon. Catching Pacific Coho salmon is illegal but confiscated fish were donated to the barbecue by the Department of Fish and Game.

As Aldeghi noted, Thompson claimed victory on the salmon issue last week, while he and other Democrats suffered defeat on the offshore oil drilling issue.

Thompson last week was able to attach an amendment to provide disaster assistance for California and Oregon fishers to the Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Bill. Thompson and members of the California and Oregon congressional delegations offered the amendment which will transfer $2 million in funding from the Department of Commerce”s administrative budget to NOAA Fisheries. The funding is meant to be a placeholder for additional disaster assistance funding as the appropriations bill moves through the Senate and then a conference committee.

However, Thompson sees a tough road ahead for disaster assistance for the fishery. He said, because Republicans favored the water diversions on the Klamath River, “if they now come back and admit it is a problem, they are admitting their mistake.”

Commercial fisherman Rand Scott is wondering if a trip during the short season this year to catch a limit of 30 fish is worth the price of gas.

Scott cooks each year and is one of the most active volunteers.

“I am pretty much out of it now, I was more involved with it in the past. They hammer you and hammer you. After a while you just feel like the wind is knocked out of you.”

Thompson said people “should be worried” about the House vote last week to rescind an offshore oil moratorium, while acknowledging press reports that say the Senate won”t go along with removing the ban.

“That”s what happens with the Republican majority, they overreach, they pass stuff that is way too draconian,” Thompson said.

The hatchery the barbecue funds, located on a tributary of the Eel River called Hollow Tree Creek, has been successful in raising baby salmon and feeding the ocean stock, but not in reviving the big salmon runs on the Eel, California”s third longest river. Martin said the problem is water diversions for the Potter Valley. The issue has never been a battleground, but some development interests have suggested more water diversions. Thompson said there was nothing new to report on the Potter Valley diversions issue at this time.

Salmon Restoration Association board member Lee Tepper wants to see Fort Bragg identify more with salmon.

“If salmon becomes an integral part of the economy, there will be moneys to do basically what we do here,” he said.

Vern Hartman, president of the Gridley Lions Club, helped out on the marinade crew and was inspired by the efficiency of the barbecue operation.

“Maybe we could have the World”s Second Largest Salmon Barbecue in Gridley,” he said.