On February 16, friends, associates, fellow fishermen, and dignitaries gathered at the Bodega Marine Lab in Bodega Bay to honor lifelong salmon fisherman and salmon advocate Victor Gonella with a Salmon Conservation Lifetime Achievement Award. Gonella also received recognition from the US House of Representatives and the California State Legislature for outstanding contributions to conservation of California king salmon. Victor Gonella is the owner of the Autoworld and Victory car dealerships in Petaluma.

The Lifetime Award was presented by the California salmon industry, with representatives of the charter boat fleet, and sport and commercial salmon fisheries in attendance.

The Congressional Record was presented by Congressional representatives Jackie Speier, Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson. The three members of Congress noted that Gonella made, “...California history by bringing together disparate stakeholders, including leaders from commercial and sport fishing industries, conservation groups, and businesses connected to fishing, for a common cause.”  They asked their colleagues in the US House of Representatives to join in “thanking Victor Gonella for his tireless efforts to not only protect valuable natural resources but also the communities that rely on them.”

The state recognition was sponsored by Senator Mike Maguire. It found that Gonella’s contributions “to the welfare and protection of California’s salmon habitat and population have been invaluable, and he has served as a worthy model for public-spirited people of the State.”

GGSA president John McManus said,” It's hard to imagine who else could have brought together the people and resources at the exact right time to keep our salmon fishery from tipping over backwards.  It's hard to imagine who else could have convincingly persuaded officials at the state and federal level to stop doing what they always do and think differently for a minute, do something different, do something for salmon.  But he did.” 

GGSA chairman Randy Repass added, “The 2008 and 2009 first salmon fishing season closures did it.  Victor, an avid salmon fisherman and self-made - very successful - business man took action founding Golden Gate Salmon. Salmon fishing this past year was way better than it would have been without actions GGSA took."
 

The Golden Gate Salmon Association is a coalition of salmon advocates that includes commercial and recreational salmon fisherman, businesses, restaurants, a native tribe, environmentalists, elected officials, families and communities that rely on salmon. 

GGSA’s mission is to restore California salmon for their economic, recreational, commercial, environmental, cultural and health values.

Currently, California’s salmon industry is valued at $1.4 billion in economic activity annually in a regular season and about half that much in economic activity and jobs again in Oregon. The industry employs tens of thousands of people from Santa Barbara to northern Oregon. This is a huge economic bloc made up of commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen (fresh and salt water), fish processors, marinas, coastal communities, equipment manufacturers, the hotel and food industry, tribes, and the salmon fishing industry at large.