El Niños can be a real headache, especially for WA's fishing industry

If you didn’t know, we are in the middle of an El Niño. Scientists say it has the potential to be one of the strongest in recent years. This is the weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean that periodically pushes warm water toward the West Coast. El Niños cause all kinds of problems, including worsening Washington droughts. And they can be a real pain for the region’s fishing industry. Guests Bob Alverson, general manager of the Fishing Vessel Owners' Association Anthony Rogers, a fisheries economist at Ocean Conservancy Related links: The 2026 El Niño Is on Track to Be the Strongest on Record | WIRED Record-breaking El Niño could gut California’s crab and salmon fleets | Los Angeles Times What a ‘very strong’ El Niño could mean for WA | The Seattle Times Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to donate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.