Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
March 6, 2008
1. Top Items
Regulators warn fishermen of upcoming restrictions on salmon - Associated Press
'Major collapse' of salmon stocks; All-time low fish numbers may not be worth going after, say some at forum - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Year of no salmon? -
Regulators warn fishermen of upcoming restrictions on salmon
Associated Press – 3/5/08
By Terence Chan, staff writer
Officials with the California Department of Fish and Game met with fishermen to share the latest data on chinook salmon populations and solicit their views on possible restrictions this year—if any fishing is allowed at all.
"There won't be a lot of opportunity, and even if you have opportunity, you probably won't catch anything," said Allen Grover, a state biologist. "There's not enough fish for everyone. So who gets the fish?"
Members of the Pacific Fishery Management Council attended Wednesday's meeting ahead of the council's meeting in
"If you look at the numbers, this looks very, very bad," said Don Hansen, who chairs the council, which regulates West Coast fishing. "This is a major collapse of the fishery."
In most years, about 90 percent of wild chinook or "king" salmon caught off the California coast originate in the Sacramento River and its tributaries, but the number of returning adults dropped dramatically last fall.
Only about 90,000 adult spawners returned to the
Biologists are predicting that this year's salmon returns could be even lower because the number of returning young male fish, known as "jacks," hit an all-time low last year.
Other West Coast rivers also have seen declines in their salmon runs, though not as steep as
Some marine scientists say the salmon declines can be attributed in part to unusual weather patterns that have disrupted the marine food chain along the
But many fishermen believe the main culprit behind the Sacramento River's collapse is increased pumping of freshwater from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farmers and water districts in the Central Valley and
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8465980?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com&nclick_check=1
'Major collapse' of salmon stocks; All-time low fish numbers may not be worth going after, say some at forum
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 3/6/08
By Robert Digitale, staff writer
"It's going to be a real tossup whether it's worth having a season," Duncan MacLean, a commercial fisherman from Half Moon Bay, said at a public meeting in Santa Rosa.
Roger Thomas, president of a charter boat skippers association, said he might support canceling the season if the situation is as bad as federal reports suggest and if that would help restore the salmon.
"If you don't get 'em back, the future of salmon is gone," Thomas said.
He said he was not speaking on behalf of his group, the Golden Gate Fishermen's Association.
A standing-room crowd of more than 120 fishermen met Wednesday with state and federal salmon regulators as they began a two-month process to set the West Coast fishing season. In April, the Pacific Fishery Management Council will recommend season rules to the U.S. Commerce Department, which oversees the salmon fishery.
State and federal biologists are predicting an all-time low this year of salmon returning to the
Don Hansen, chairman of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, called the situation "a major, major collapse of the fishery." He said the council probably didn't have 100,000 chinook salmon to divide between the state's sport fishermen and commercial trollers in
In contrast, last year
The reasons for the poor salmon runs remain in dispute.
Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week declared that warmer ocean water and lack of food in 2005 appear to be the "likely culprit" for the lack of chinook salmon last year. Those fish would have recently entered the ocean as juvenile salmon that year.
The scientists point out that coho salmon from streams all along the West Coast also were much reduced last year.
Fishermen have suggested the problem is related to poor conditions in rivers across the West Coast.
"I would be more inclined to believe that those fish are not making it to the ocean," MacLean said.
Wednesday's meeting included sport and commercial fishermen, river guides and charter boat skippers.
Dave Bitts, a commercial fishermen from
Many speakers called for restoring salmon. They urged regulators to fight water diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and to find new methods to get more of the 32 million juvenile hatchery salmon safely to the ocean. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080306/NEWS/803060374/1033/NEWS01
Year of no salmon?
By John Driscoll, staff writer
Officers with the Pacific Fishery Management Council are crunching numbers this week, trying to determine what fishing -- if any -- can be allowed. While the outlook is dim, there may be hope for at least a token fishery.
”I think it's possible there could be some fishing,” said council staff officer Chuck Tracy.
Both chinook and coho salmon runs in West Coast rivers last year were poor, especially in the Sacramento River and Central Valley, which generally produces most of the fish caught in
The fall run on the Klamath River was unimpressive, as were runs on smaller rivers and streams in
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week said a southward shift in the jet stream in 2005 delayed the northwesterly winds responsible for upwelling that jump-starts the ocean food chain along the
Projections for this year's runs are lower than projections from last year, leaving some to wonder if 2008 could be even worse.
The anticipation of a disastrous salmon season has prompted lawmakers to begin pushing for possible relief for commercial and recreational fishing interests. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein have authored a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, asking him to prepare to quickly declare a commercial fishery failure that would allow Congress to seek emergency funds.
The letter planned to be sent out today is signed by a large, bipartisan group of West Coast legislators.
”It's very serious,” Thompson said in a phone interview. “I've made everybody aware of it here.”
Gutierrez in 2006 declared the salmon fishery a disaster after regulators slashed the salmon season because
But the
The economic weight of commercial and sport season in
Humboldt County Supervisor Jimmy Smith, also a representative to the Klamath Management Zone Fisheries Coalition, said he has hope for a minimal sport fishery in
He also said that the long-term view may not be terrible. Smith recalled years that saw poor runs and limited spawning that nonetheless produced banner runs three years later. He also remembers huge runs whose offspring apparently fared poorly in the ocean, and did not lead to strong runs three years later.
”These fish have shown in the past that they can respond ... it does not take that long to get them back,” Smith said.
Water diversions, pollution and diseases must all factor into the larger equation, as well.
Regulators are also signaling concern over rockfish stocks, especially since a limited salmon season may mean increased pressure on the bottom-dwelling fish.
”To be honest, some of the numbers for rockfish aren't looking that good either,” said California Fish and Game Commission Deputy Director Adrianna Shea.
Last year, the rockfish season was abruptly closed long before expected. The commission is expected today to hear a report on the status of these fish and what regulatory actions might be taken in 2008.
McKinleyville fisherman Jan Zeiters questioned the way the California Department of Fish and Game arrived at the conclusion about rockfish, and said many fishermen feel the information they provided to the department was used against them. He's worried that there will be almost no fishing opportunity at all this year, and that local businesses will take a serious hit.
”When you couple the potential loss of the salmon season and a really abbreviated rockfish season, it doesn't leave the fishermen a whole lot,” Zeiters said.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council meets next week in
http://www.times-standard.com//ci_8472483?IADID=Search-www.times-standard.com-www.times-standard.com
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