The federal fisheries agency said that the 2008 commercial ocean salmon season may be worse than the devastating 2006 season. The Pacific Fishery Management Council released a report indicating that Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon stocks are expected to fall to an all-time low this year. The PFMC said that the stock infers total abundance to be near the low end of the spawning goal range in 2008.
Don Hansen, chairperson PFMC, said that the news is certainly not good for West Coast salmon fisheries as the disaster would be worse than the Klamath fishery disaster in 2006. He added that the PFMC is ready to adopt the 2008 management options that will be available for the public review on March 14.
Eureka fisherman Aaron Newman said that going by the PFMC’s bylaws, it looks like there won’t be any take for the commercial Chinook salmon in California waters this season. He also said that as the salmon season is cyclical there might be a big 2009 run out there. According to him these things can bounce back really fast.
The federal fishery agency has invited public opinions on this then it would decide on the commercial and recreational seasons for the current year.
