Commercial fishermen on the North Coast are facing the heat from the effects of a second consecutive year without a salmon fishing season, an unprecedented turn of events that threatens their livelihoods and underscores the urgency of saving the state’s most iconic fish. Decreasing stock of salmon has led to another ban on commercial fishing of the species in California and Oregon this year.
Environmentalists believe that a collapse of the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta’s ecosystem has contributed to a decline in several fish species which includes salmon also. It is also believed that a change in the food supply in the ocean could be partly responsible for the salmon decline. These poor ocean conditions exacerbated serious, pre-existing problems caused by lack of water and poor water quality in the Delta, which in the past have been masked by good ocean conditions.
Continuous ban on salmon season have forced fishermen to do more crab fishing or go after smaller fish such as rock cod, herring or albacore tuna. They are optimist that next year will be better and a commercial salmon season, albeit limited, will be allowed. A combination of improved ocean conditions and more fresh water in the Delta have led to a forecast of as many as 180,000 returning salmon in the fall, says Expert.
Growers and regulators are working to resolve the problem without more regulations. Don McEnhill, director of the Russian Riverkeeper organization, hopes a cooperative effort among all the competing interests can produce a workable solution, but he’s withholding judgment.
