The California Fish and Game Commision voted unanimously to ban recreational fishing for salmon this year. The ban on salmon fishing includes all of the California coast extending 3 miles from shore in state waters. This vote is a move to protect and hopefully restore dwindling numbers of chinook salmon (also called king salmon) on the west coast. Last fall surveys found nearly record low numbers of chinook salmon making the journey to spawn in the Sacramento River and tributaries.
California's vote follows a decision last week by federal regulators to close most of Oregon coast and all of the California coast to commercial and sport fishing for salmon. Another meeting has been scheduled by the California Fish and Game Commision for May 9 to consider whether salmon fishing will be permitted in the states rivers this year.
The chinook spawning run to the Sacramento river is usually one of the most.....
productive on the US west coast. Last falls survey saw only 90,000 adult chinook salmon return to the Central Valley, with numbers projected around 58,000 for this year. Compared to over 775,000 as recent as 2002, these low numbers are well below what is needed to maintain health salmon fisheries.
