The dwindling population of New Zealand's Chinook salmon is a personal concern for me, as it represents the last remaining source of wild Chinook salmon known from the Winnemem Wintu tribe. These precious fish spawn in Mellish Stream, located in Lake Heron, and the juvenile salmon, or smolt, spend up to two years growing bigger and stronger in the lake before beginning their journey to the ocean.

It is vital that we take crucial steps to preserve this unique salmon population. Currently, Fish and Game authorities are allowing the harvest of four fish per day, a number that seems excessive given the declining numbers of these wild salmon. Additionally, the regulation permits only one adult salmon to be taken per season. This imbalance underscores the urgent need for reevaluation and stricter regulation to ensure the lake's salmon population can flourish once more.

The salmon's life cycle is delicately balanced and the importance of Lake Heron as a natural nursery cannot be overstated. Allowing excessive fishing not only jeopardizes the Salmon's future, but also risks losing a valuable ecological and cultural resource tied to New Zealand's identity and heritage. With DNA testing confirming these salmon as wild Rakaia salmon, it is imperative that more stringent measures are enacted to protect them from overfishing and ensure their sustainability for future generations.

By signing this petition, you are advocating for changing fishing policies that affect Lake Heron, demanding the authorities to adjust fishing limits in order to safeguard the last known population of these wild Chinook salmon. Let us act now to conserve this precious natural and cultural legacy. Please sign and share this petition to trigger change and protect Lake Heron's wild salmon population.