Fishery Council adopts generous West Coast salmon seasons

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) at its meeting in Seattle on Thursday, April 5 adopted a set of generous ocean salmon seasons that provides both recreational and commercial fishing opportunities coastwide.

Recreational salmon fishing is scheduled to open on the California coast from Horse Mountain in Humboldt County to the U.S./Mexico border on Saturday, April 7.

"California and Oregon fishermen, in particular, will be benefit from higher-than‐usual salmon returns in the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers this year," according to statement from the PFMC. "The recommendation will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval by May 1, 2012."

“Everyone is pleased to see such a strong abundance of the major Sacramento River and Klamath River work‐horse stocks,” said Council Chairman Dan Wolford. “After achieving all the conservation goals for weak stocks in 2012, both recreational and commercial ocean salmon fishermen should enjoy a good season this summer.”

The estimated largest number of returning Sacramento River fall Chinook since 2005 will fuel ocean salmon fisheries off California and Oregon. Fisheries south of Cape Falcon, in northern Oregon, are supported by Sacramento River fall Chinook.

In 2008 and 2009, poor Sacramento returns, spurred by a "perfect storm" of record water exports out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, declining water quality and poor ocean conditions, led to the largest ocean salmon fishery closure on record.

"The abundance forecast of Sacramento River fall Chinook in 2012 is 819,400, far above the number needed for optimum spawning this fall (122,000‐180,000 fish)," according to the PFMC. "The Klamath River fall Chinook forecast for 2012 is about four times greater than average and the highest forecast on record since 1985."

The Oregon Coast natural coho forecast in 2012 is about 290,000, the largest forecast since at least 1996.

Recreational fisheries in southern Oregon and California are for Chinook only and run from May 1 through September 9 in the Brookings/Eureka/Crescent City area, and from April 7 to at least October 7 in areas further south. The minimum size limit will be 24 inches in the San Francisco and Monterey areas from April 7 to July 5, but otherwise 20 inches in California.

The recreational seasons for California are as follows:

OR/CA Border to Horse Mt. (California KMZ)
• May 1 through September 9 (C.6).
All salmon except coho. Seven days per week, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 20 inches total length (B). See gear restrictions and definitions (C.2, C.3). Klamath Control Zone closed in August (C.4.e). See California State regulations for additional closures adjacent to the Smith, Eel, and Klamath rivers.

Horse Mt. to Point Arena (Fort Bragg)
• April 7 through November 11.
Seven days per week. All salmon except coho, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 20 inches total length (B). See gear restrictions and definitions (C.2, C.3).

In 2013, season opens April 6 for all salmon except coho, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 20 inches total length (B); and the same gear restrictions as in 2012 (C.2, C.3). This opening could be modified following Council review at its March 2013 meeting.

Point Arena to Pigeon Point (San Francisco)
• April 7 through November 11.
Seven days per week. All salmon except coho, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 24 inches total length through July 5; 20 inches thereafter (B). See gear restrictions and definitions (C.2, C.3).

In 2013, season opens April 6 for all salmon except coho, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 24 inches total length (B); and the same gear restrictions as in 2012 (C.2, C.3). This opening could be modified following Council review at its March 2013 meeting.

Pigeon Point to U.S./Mexico Border (Monterey)
• April 7 through October 7.
Seven days per week. All salmon except coho, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 24 inches total length through July 5; 20 inches thereafter (B). See gear restrictions and definitions (C.2, C.3).

In 2013, season opens April 6 for all salmon except coho, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 24 inches total length (B); and the same gear restrictions as in 2012 (C.2, C.3). This opening could be modified following Council review at its March 2013 meeting.

Commercial fisheries will also be generous in California and Oregon waters. In the area from Point Arena to Point Sur (San Francisco), the season will be open May 1 to June 4, June 27 to August 29, and September 1 to 30.

From Point Sur to the Mexico border, the Chinook season will be open May 1 to August 29 and September 1 to 30. There will also be a season from Point Reyes to Point San Pedro, open October 1 to 5 and 8 to 12.

The California Fish and Game Commission will discuss and is expected to adopt the in-river recreational salmon seasons for the Klamath/Trinity and Sacramento systems and ocean recreational salmon regulations at a Special Meeting/Teleconference Call on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, 10 a.m. at the Resources Building, 1416 Ninth Street, Room 13201, Sacramento.

Anglers can expect to see a full salmon season on the Sacramento, American, Feather, Trinity and Klamath rivers similar to last year's season. A season on the Mokelumne River is also proposed.

"A range of varied season dates are proposed to continue salmon fishing in the American, Feather and Sacramento rivers and expand angler access in the Feather and Mokelumne rivers," according to the Commission. For more information, go to: http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2012/index.aspx#cv

While the hatchery supported fall-run chinook salmon runs have bounced back, the spring and winter run chinook runs continue to decline, due to increased exports of Delta water to corporate agribusiness and southern California in recent years and other factors.

"Federally protected winter and spring run salmon continue to languish in part because so many are lost at the Delta pumps," according to the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA). "Unlike the protected winter and spring run salmon, many of the fall run salmon fishermen will target this year were moved as juveniles in tanker trucks around the deadly pumps."

The Brown and Obama administrations are currently fast-tracking the construction of a peripheral canal or tunnel through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). Salmon advocates fear that the canal's construction will lead to the extinction of Sacramento River chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta smelt, longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other species if it is built.

For more information about the ocean regulations, go to: http://www.pcouncil.org/2012/04/20323/council-adopts-generous-salmon-seasons-coastwide/