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New report cautiously optimistic on Sacramento River salmon

Posted by: Maven on February 25, 2010 at 8:33 am

From the Contra Costa Times:

“Despite a record-low number of salmon returning to California rivers in the fall, there is a good chance that anglers will have at least some chance to fish for king salmon for the first time in three years.

Figures released Wednesday show that under normal circumstances, regulators could allow as many as 120,000 fish to be caught.

But because of the dire condition of what has been historically the state’s most valuable salmon run, they are unlikely to allow that much fishing.

A third consecutive year of no fishing is not out of the question; even after regulators determine how much fishing to allow, they will have to determine how much of that to allocate to sport fishers and how much to commercial anglers. … “

Read more from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.

From the Sacramento Bee:

“A report released Wednesday suggests better times may be ahead for the Sacramento River’s fall-run chinook salmon.

The preseason report by the Pacific Fishery Management Council estimates 245,483 chinook will make up the 2010 fall run. That’s about six times more than 2009′s fall run, which set a record low.

The reason for the estimated increase is the large number of 2-year-old fish that spawned in 2009. This often indicates a large number of that generation didn’t spawn but remain in the ocean and may return to the river in 2010 as 3-year-olds, the typical spawning age. … “

Continue reading this story from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

From the San Francisco Examiner:

” … “It looks like there may be enough for a very, very small season, a little bit of fishing but not much,” Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, an industry group.

“A lot of this is going to depend on how conservative the council feels it has to be. They over-predicted the last couple of years.”

Still, the council has more study to conduct before any final decisions are made, said Chuck Tracy, head of the salmon section for the Portland, Ore.-based council. A final recommendation will be made during the council’s March meeting in Sacramento.

The Sacramento River king salmon run is watched closely as it provides much of the salmon caught off the Oregon and California coasts.

The precipitous decline of fish returning to the Sacramento area in recent years has resulted in commercial and recreational salmon fishing seasons in California being canceled. … “

Read more from the San Francisco Examiner by clicking here.

Read the press release here: PCFFA Press Release (Actually, it’s the Pacific Fisheries Management Council; I misnamed the file on the upload – sorry!)

February 25, 2010 · Filed Under Wildlife & Endangered Species

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