California’s prized fish, salmon, is expected to make spectacular comeback after four years of collapse in the salmon population. According to fishery managers this is the longest commercial salmon fishing season in eight years. This forecast sent energy to the industry. The longest run is expected to run from the Klamath and Sacramento rivers, the state’s top spawning grounds.
Pacific Fishery Management Council, which oversees the salmon fisheries in Washington, Oregon and California, says that there are 1.65 million adult Chinook in the ocean this year from the Klamath River near the Oregon border. The Council says this year estimation is three times higher than the previous ones. Chuck Tracy, the council’s salmon staff officer, this is going to be biggest rebound after collapse of salmon population four years ago.
Fishermen and industry experts attribute the apparent population explosion to favorable ocean conditions and the wet winters of 2009-10 and 2010-11. Some says that it is definitely gives one hope for a good season, but there are no guarantees. Even if the season is as robust as the forecasts suggest, Chinook salmon populations are cyclical, and lean years are sure to come.
