The Pacific Fishery Management Council on Tuesday met in Sacramento, Calif., to discuss recovery plans for salmon stocks in California and Oregon, including a complete closure of the fisheries.
Holding above 200,000 fish for the past 15 years, last year's 90,414-fish chinook run was the second lowest since 1973. The juvenile count hit an all-time low of only 2,000 fish, which does not bode well for 2008 returns.
Even with a complete closure of the fishery, only an estimated 59,100 chinook salmon will spawn in California's Central Valley rivers this fall, according to PFMC officials.
A full closure has never taken place on the West Coast. The closest the council got was two years ago, when it cut the commercial fishing season by two-thirds to protect Klamath River salmon.
The council's final decision is expected during its April meeting in Seattle.