Native Fish Recovery

Patagonia works to fund groups and efforts working to restore and protect wild, self-sustainable trout, salmon and other fish species within their native range. This includes both indigenous freshwater and saltwater fish. We believe that the best way to accomplish these goals over the long-term is by ensuring that populations have high-quality habitats and adequate stream flows, can migrate between habitats without human intervention, are not negatively impacted by hatchery or aquaculture operations, have protection from harmful non-native species and disease, and are not overharvested.

We look for innovative groups that produce measurable results and work on long-term solutions to root causes of the problem. Proposed projects should be quantifiable, with specific goals, objectives and action plans, and should include measures for evaluating success.

Per our World Trout Initiative guidelines, we fund work that:

• restores native river, coastal and saltwater habitats
• ensures dedicated in-stream flows that mimic natural stream flows
• provides unassisted fish passage (without human intervention) to and from historically accessible habitats, with priority given to long-term, low-maintenance and natural channel solutions
• fosters sustainable harvest techniques and eliminates irresponsible aquaculture and pollution

Per our World Trout Initiative guidelines, Patagonia’s grants programs will not fund work that:

• includes artificial rearing, hatchery or aquaculture operations
• promotes or studies human-assisted fish-passage projects (e.g., trap and haul, fish elevators, barging)
• endorses artificial or non-native habitat enhancement or augmentation projects
• introduces or enhances fish populations that are not native to a particular body of water

If you have a project proposal that aligns with our World Trout Initiative guidelines, you can apply through one of our grant programs. Find a list of all grant programs below and on the How We Fund page.