The U.S. state of California’s commercial salmon fishery will remain closed for a third year in a row due mostly to low abundance fall Chinook runs in both the Klamath River and Sacramento River.
“A third year without fishing is a serious blow to California’s commercial salmon fleet,” Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association President George Bradshaw said in a statement. “We were optimistic about a return to salmon fishing for California’s fleet, but the reality is the low abundance and return estimates will not provide the economic impact we need. The risk of fishing this depleted population is simply not worth the reward.”
On 15 April, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) released its recommendations for U.S. West Coast salmon fisheries, which closed all ocean commercial salmon fisheries south of Humbug Mountain in Oregon through California to the U.S.-Mexico border starting in mid-May.
“This year’s West Coast ocean salmon fisheries were developed through close collaboration among the council, its advisors, fishery stakeholders, and the public,” PFMC Executive Director Merrick Burden said. “The adopted seasons reflect the valuable input we received from fishing communities – balancing their needs and priorities with the critical goal of giving struggling salmon populations a chance to recover.”
The PFMC first closed California’s commercial fishery in 2023 due to plummeting salmon populations.
“A host of factors have pushed these iconic and important fisheries to the point of collapse, including ...
