hatchery

As detailed by National Geographic, it is a common practice in salmon hatcheries to harvest salmon sperm, which requires a scientist to squeeze a salmon in the right spot — also known as abdominal massaging.

But the population has surged in recent years, thanks to a curbing of harvests, habitat restoration and use of hatcheries to bolster populations.

Newsom’s administration in January announced a salmon strategy plan outlining a series of expanded efforts, including restoring habitats, modernizing hatcheries and removing barriers that block fish migration.

Over two days, workers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife released 16 truckloads of juvenile salmon that were raised in a newly built hatchery.

The federal government opened salmon hatcheries to compensate, but they have not produced enough fish to make up for the losses from poor water management.