17 July 2015 (20:33 UTC-07 Tango 01, 16 July 2015)/26 Tir 1394/30 Ramadan 1436/02 Gui-Wie (6th month) 4713

The states of Washington and Oregon have jointly banned fishing for the prehistoric fish known as sturgeon.  Dozens (at least 80 at last count) of the fish have been found dead in the Columbia River Gorge reservoirs.  Sockeye salmon are also dying in huge numbers.

Fishing for sturgeon is catch & release only (except for Native Americans on their concentration camps, I mean reservations), but that’s been banned until researchers can figure out why the fish are dying.  Some suspect a combination of high temperatures and low oxygen in the water caused by the drought.

The salmon are dying of a bacteria called columnaris, which goes ‘nuts’ in high temperatures and low oxygen environments.

29 sturgeon were autopsied and their bellies were found full of salmon, yet biologists don’t think that killed the sturgeon.  Almost all dead sturgeon were adults of five feet or longer.  Old fish cannot absorb oxygen from the water as effectively as young fish.

Oregon also banned the fishing of salmon, steelhead and trout.

USDA declares Idaho a food production disaster area!