west coast salmon fishery

Discussion related to commercial salmon trolling, boats, gear, fishing techniques, electronics, marketing, etc.
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coastaladventurer

west coast salmon fishery

Post by coastaladventurer »

Hopefully this problem, does not happen in Alaska. But If nothing is done about the over harvesting of salmon and halibut by the charter fleet . We will be seeing things like this coming here!
It is time for the commerical fleet to start lobbing our state to MANAGE the resources for the long term NOT the short term!
All anybody thinks about is the maga money they can make off the states resources. WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE!
This article is from the Anchorage Daily news.

Salmon fishing ban considered to fix California collapse
PACIFIC: Weak return may bring limits from Oregon to Mexico.

By SAMANTHA YOUNG
The Associated Press

Published: March 15th, 2008 02:29 AM
Last Modified: March 15th, 2008 02:44 AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Federal fisheries managers on Friday took the initial step toward imposing what could be the strictest limits ever on West Coast salmon fishing amid a precipitous drop in fish returning to California's Sacramento Valley.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously adopted three options for sport and commercial fishing off the Pacific Coast, including an unprecedented complete shutdown of fishing off California and Oregon.

"This is a major disaster. We've never had one ever like this," council chairman Donald Hansen said after the vote. "It will have a major impact on California commercial fisheries for salmon, recreational fisheries, California charters."

The closest the council has come to halting all salmon fishing was 2006, when a decline in Northern California's Klamath River run forced severe restrictions on the number of fish caught.

The other possible strategies include severely limiting fishing or allowing fishermen to catch and release salmon for scientific projects. Both those options would require the federal government to grant an emergency rule because the salmon numbers are so low.

The fishery council is expected to decide which action to take in April during its meeting in Seattle.

"I think the likeliest outcome this year is no one will put a hook in the water," said Humboldt County fisherman Dave Bitts, who was attending the weeklong meeting in Sacramento.

The Sacramento River chinook run is usually one of the most plentiful on the West Coast, providing the bulk of the fish caught by commercial trollers off California and Oregon.

But this year's returns -- even with no fishing allowed -- are expected to reach less than half the council's goal for spawning a new generation. It marks the third straight year of declines, and the outlook for next year is no better.

After years of declining salmon runs, few fishermen rely solely on salmon for a living. Supplies of farm-raised fish and sockeye from Alaska are expected to remain plentiful in supermarkets and restaurants, but there will be few chinook. Also known as king salmon, they are the type of salmon most prized by chefs and sportsmen.

Many coastal communities that still have salmon fleets have yet to recover from long-standing downturns in fishing and timber.

"It's going to have a big effect on our coastal communities," said Zeke Grader, executive director of the San Francisco-based Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.

It is the third straight year of hardship. In 2006, the season was curtailed to protect struggling chinook returns to the Klamath River in Northern California. Last year, catches were poor despite a relatively open fishing season.

Congress authorized some aid for fishermen after the 2006 seasons, and California representatives are looking for more this year.

The council's action on Friday prompted California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the governors of Oregon and Washington to urge the federal government to declare a resource disaster if the fisheries are closed or severely restricted. Such a declaration would make communities eligible for federal aid.

Closing fisheries in California and most of Oregon also could lead to higher salmon prices for restaurants and consumers who would be forced to buy Alaska-caught salmon instead of locally caught fish.
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