Federal regulators have decided to ban commercial Chinook fishing south of Cape Falcon. That equates to most of the Oregon coast. Most of the fishermen in Oregon are now crabbing but their mind was stuck on salmon. They said that it’s a huge part of their livelihood that they have been without since ’04. The Pacific Fishery Management Council has put the brakes on commercial Chinook fishing south of Cape Falcon. Steve Williams from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said that all is based on a problem with the Sacramento Fall Chinook not doing very well like last year. The news is hitting the fishermen hard. They told that without the salmon you’re talking one third of your season gone. You’re talking millions, millions of dollars. They are concerned about fishing communities like Garibaldi. For an economy to work it has to flow and even a restricted flow is better than a dam, say fishermen. But when that dam will open up is anybody’s guess. In the meantime, the commercial fishermen of the region are focusing on what they do have. Right now it is crab. They can also go after Coho. These fishermen are also having a limited number of Coho for their business.
