This year has been California’s best salmon season in a decade, in light of the phenomenally low catches landed in recent years.
Heavy rain and snow over the winter helped to end the state’s drought, which caused years of disappointing salmon returns. Last year, federal fishery disasters were declared in California, Oregon, and Washington state. However, the commercial salmon catch this year has surpassed the preseason forecast by around 50 percent, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“We’re really surprised to be seeing this many fish being landed so far this season,” said Kandice Morgenstern, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife marine scientist. The strongest numbers have come in Morro Bay, Monterey, and San Francisco, Morgenstern added. Farther north, the harvest has been weaker.
The California salmon season runs from May to October, and most of the fish come from the Sacramento River and its tributaries. Like other West Coast states, California raises fish in hatcheries, which has helped to bolster the catch.
After an El Nino event warmed the Pacific Ocean, water temperatures have cooled, allowing prey for salmon such as anchovies and krill to thrive.
Buyers have been able to enjoy the surplus as well.
“Consumers who have been facing tough prices because of scarcity of California salmon are seeing a much more accessible product,” said Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations Executive Director Noah Oppenheim.
And for those who rely on salmon, the season has been a godsend.
“For the salmon fishermen who’ve been dealing with disaster for so long, this is an incredible boon to their livelihoods,” said Oppenheim.
Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
