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Zero-salmon bag: New fishing ban may force action on salmon collapse

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 29, 2008 at 10:21 pm

From Dan Bacher, writing for Sacramento News & Review:

Fishing for chinook salmon on the Sacramento and American rivers in downtown Sacramento, just a short distance from the state Capitol, is a unique tradition that has been an integral, iconic component of life in the capital city for decades. Every September and October, crowds of boaters and shore anglers descend on the river—along the stretch from Discovery Park to Miller Park—in the early morning hours. They’re out there in the hopes of hooking large, hard-fighting salmon on their annual spawning migration from the Pacific Ocean to hatcheries and spawning gravels on the Sacramento, American and Feather rivers.

But this year is different, since salmon fishing in the Sacramento area will be banned because of the collapse of Central Valley fall-run chinook salmon populations. While more than 800,000 fish returned to spawn in the Sacramento River system in 2002, fishery scientists expect less than 60,000 to come back this year. In an unprecedented action, the California Fish and Game Commission voted on May 9 to adopt a “zero bag limit” for salmon—meaning that no salmon may be taken or possessed—in 14 Central Valley rivers and streams.

The only exception is a one salmon bag limit in the Sacramento River from Red Bluff Diversion Dam to Knights Landing from November 1 to December 31. To the surprise of many anglers who expected that spring chinook fishing on the American and Feather rivers would remain open, these rivers will be also be closed to the take of spring-run chinook also. These new regulations will go into effect on or before July 15.

“The department proposed and recommended this option because of concerns about impacts to spring chinook salmon,” said Steve Martarano, Department of Fish and Game spokesman. “This option will provide maximum protection to Sacramento River fall chinook in the Central Valley, while providing very limited access to late fall chinook.”

For more on this story from Dan Bacher at the Sacramento News & Review, click here.

May 29, 2008 · Filed Under Salmon

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