A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
January 31, 2008
3. Watersheds
SALMON SEASON ISSUES:
Fishermen fear lost salmon season; Dramatic drop in chinook returning to Sacramento River may idle North Coast boats - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Salmon report disastrous news for fishermen; Sacramento River's chinook population plummets precipitously - Inside Bay Area
Chinook return uncertain - Marysville Appeal Democrat
Editorial: Our shrinking salmon; Answer to 'unprecedented collapse' needed - Sacramento
Editorial: Salmon mystery; What is happening with
LAKE DAVIS PIKE
Open house on
SALMON SEASON ISSUES:
Fishermen fear lost salmon season; Dramatic drop in chinook returning to Sacramento River may idle
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 1/31/08
By Robert Digitale, staff writer
"When they start talking about no fishing at all, that's obviously a concern," said Chuck Wise, a
"It would be devastating to the charter boats in
The possible fishing closure is tied to reports of a dramatic drop in the number of adult chinook salmon returning to spawn in the
Federal regulators suggested in a press release that they might be unable to conserve enough
The regulators will meet in early April in
The state's commercial fishery has declined sharply during the past two decades, even as the number of salmon raised worldwide in aquaculture, or fish farms, has grown exponentially. More than 2,500 commercial vessels landed salmon in
That year, the federal Pacific Fisheries Management Council sharply curtailed fishing because of low salmon stocks from the Klamath River north of
Now attention is turned to the
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, who sponsored the disaster relief legislation, said Wednesday that a fishing ban on salmon this year could cost West Coast fishing ports upwards of $80 million.
"It's terrible news for both the fish and the industry," Thompson said.
If the fishery is once more declared a disaster, Thompson said he again will seek aid for the fishermen.
State and federal officials are reporting low salmon runs this year from
"As you go up and down the West Coast, there are not very many bright spots," said Harry Morse, spokesman for the state Department of Fish & Game.
Returning chinook salmon on the
Federal regulators said the reason for the decline is unclear but probably related to ocean conditions.
However, Zeke Grader, executive director of the federation of fishermen's associations, maintained the decline is much sharper on the
"We've just taken too much water out," Grader said.
Despite the grim outlook for this season, fishermen maintained the declines aren't permanent.
"I fully expect these fish to bounce back," said Chris Lawson, president of the Fisherman's Marketing Association of Bodega Bay. Nonetheless, he said, "I'm concerned with the season we're going to get this year." #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080131/NEWS/801310346/1033/NEWS01
Salmon report disastrous news for fishermen;
Inside Bay Area – 1/31/08
By Julia Scott, staff writer
PRINCETON-BY-THE-SEA — Local fishermen saw doom in a report released Tuesday warning that the
The sharp drop in chinook, or "king," salmon returning from the Pacific Ocean to spawn in the
That would spell disaster for both commercial and recreational fishermen at
Those losses would be compounded by an even poorer season this year. And the pain would be borne not just by fishermen, but by all the groups that benefit from salmon season — from processors to bait shops, RV parks, and fishing guides along the
Duncan MacLean, a Half Moon Bay fisherman who is on a team that advises the fishery council, said he's bracing for hard times.
"It's probably going to be worse than anything we've experienced before," said MacLean, 58, who relies on salmon fishing for as much as 70 percent of his income.
"It's going to put a lot of us out of business."
Fishermen say they knew the
More worrisome is that only about 2,000 2-year-old chinooks — whose numbers are used to predict returns of adult spawners in the coming season — returned to the
On average, about 40,000 juveniles, or "jacks," return each year.
Some believe the losses are related to changes in the ocean linked to global warming. Others blame the troubles in
The Pacific Fishery Management Council will use the data to decide on possible restrictions to, or a complete closure of, the season when it meets in
The news would be easier to take if the Dungeness crab season had been less of a bust this year, said Jim Anderson, chairman of the California Salmon Council and a commercial fisherman out of Pillar Point.
Fishermen across
"The weather's been really bad, and there's not much crab out there. I talked to a lot of guys, and they've just made their expenses. Nobody's been able to make any money," he said. "I'm still trying to catch up on the gear I bought last year."
In his work with the California Salmon Council,
The payouts, which were based on a fisherman's catch history between 2002 and 2006, helped ease the pain a little, but "didn't do anything for the future," said
He said he has already been in touch with officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the Department of Commerce, about the possibility of putting together another compensation package or securing zero-interest loans for fishermen and others affected across the state.
Any loss of the salmon season would strip away 50 percent of the annual profits at Huck Finn Sportfishing, a mainstay of
"Salmon has always been our bread and butter, along with rockfish," said Peggy Beckett, who owns the store along with her husband Bill.
"It's not been a good winter. If we lost the salmon season, I don't know. Unless I can figure out something else to do, I don't know how we'll survive." #
Chinook return uncertain
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 1/30/08
By Howard Yune staff writer
A dramatic fall in the
Bait-and-tackle shops and other businesses linked to recreational fishing reported steep sales declines during the past fall's salmon season - the effect, they say, of a chinook salmon population federal regulators believe has dropped precipitously in five years. With a possible closure of the salmon-fishing season looming, no quick relief is apparent.
"Mainly, it's going to cut out that whole season," said Mike Searcy, owner of Star Bait and Tackle in Linda. "We'll basically lose three months of business because of the loss of (salmon) season, because there isn't any other species to target during that time. A good 25 percent of our business would be gone."
The numbers of chinook, also called king salmon, returning from the Pacific Ocean to the Sacramento River system to spawn fell steeply in river systems across the
Last year's total of about 90,000 salmon in the
Scientists, anglers and water authorities are debating the cause of the decline.
In the Mid-Valley, some blame heavy-handed management of the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta - particularly the pumping of water to support agriculture and the millions of residents in
Excessive drawing from the delta has shrunk the supply of one-celled plankton and upset the food chain that salmon depend on, according to Searcy. He also pointed to non-native plants like water hyacinths stripping the delta of native plants that give young chinooks cover from predatory adult fish.
"I had guys who used to catch 70-100 salmon a year, and last year they were counting the number of salmon they caught on both hands," he said.
In
"You've got Russians, Japanese, and their boats are taking every salmon they can get and we don't have control over those people," said Boucke, who added his shop and local competitors are having to lean far more heavily on striper bass anglers to stay profitable.
Fishery council members will meet in
But a longtime Colusa angler cautioned authorities against such haste, saying more research is needed to understand the disappearance of salmon - and adding such declines have happened before.
"I've fished the
"Why? There are so many variables, I couldn't point a finger at any one." #
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/salmon_59735___article.html/river_sacramento.html
Editorial: Our shrinking salmon; Answer to 'unprecedented collapse' needed
Sacramento
Throughout the ages, salmon populations have been known to gyrate from year to year.
Newborn salmon that enjoy a perfect combination of river and ocean conditions come swimming back in huge numbers three or four years later. Lousy environmental conditions lead to a salmon decline.
Apparently, life for
Federal fishery regulators are calling the downturn an "unprecedented collapse," meaning that commercial fishermen can expect to see fishing restrictions beyond those that are already hurting this industry. Gone are the days when consumers could easily find fresh, locally caught salmon for less than $10 a pound.
If only it were easy to understand what is driving this downturn. Dams, water diversions, pollution and loss of shady river habitat clearly are hurting the effort to rebuild numbers of natural spawners.
But water diversions have spiked steadily since the 1990s in the
While out at sea, salmon eat shrimp-like creatures called krill, as well as anchovies and other small fish. Some scientists have found that changes in West Coast wind patterns have disturbed a normal "upwelling" of the ocean that helps energize the food chain. This could be a harbinger of climate change or just a temporary cycle. Much more research is needed to understand the links.
In coming decades,
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/675216.html
Editorial: Salmon mystery; What is happening with
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 1/31/08
The decline of
The mystery now is why efforts to bolster the number of Chinook or king salmon, particularly those returning from the Pacific to the
According to a Pacific Fishery Management Council memo, the state's largest salmon run is suffering an "unprecedented collapse." The number of salmon returning to the
Is it global warming? Fishing? The influence of fresh water being pumped from the delta? Whatever the cause, the effect is going to be another season or two of severe fishing restrictions throughout the West. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080131/WIRE/801310375/1043/OPINION01
LAKE DAVIS PIKE
Open house on
By Jane Braxton Little, staff writer
PORTOLA – Northern pike in
California Department of Fish and Game officials will review last year's chemical treatment process and ongoing procedures for monitoring the
They will also discuss plans to restock
The open house is scheduled for 1 to 3:30 p.m. in the Eastern Plumas Healthcare education room,
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/676005.html
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