Ocean Salmon Season Setting Process Begins for California

[C-Hawk]

Received in e-mail today---

California Department of Fish and Game

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Feb. 17, 2009

Contact: Neil Manji, DFG Fisheries Branch Chief, (916) 327-8840
Marija Vojkovich, DFG Representative to the Pacific
Fishery Management Council, (805) 568-1246
DFG Office of Communications, (916) 322-8911

Ocean Salmon Season Setting Process Begins
Estimates of 2008 Sacramento River Fall Chinook Escapement At All Time
Low

Preliminary 2008 salmon data released today indicates a continued and
significant reduction in the return size of Sacramento River fall
Chinook stock. The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG)
estimates that 66,200 Sacramento River fall Chinook adults returned in
2008 - the lowest recorded return since comprehensive monitoring of
Central Valley hatchery and natural escapement began in the 1970s. An
estimated 73 percent of these spawners returned to natural areas.

The salmon stock information was collected early February by DFG and
was forwarded this week to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC)
to help the council begin its annual ocean salmon season setting
process. The data focuses on the return of both Sacramento River fall
Chinook and Klamath-Trinity River System fall Chinook salmon in 2008.
Preliminary data indicates approximately that 31,000 adult fall Chinook
returned to spawn in Klamath-Trinity River System natural areas during
2008, well below the 2008 management objective of 40,700 required by the
PFMC.

DFG provides extensive information and scientific assistance on
California salmon stocks annually to the PFMC for the evaluation and
setting of ocean salmon seasons. The California Fish and Game Commission
(FGC) uses this information for season-setting as well.

The 2009 ocean salmon season regulatory process includes public and
scientific meetings starting in February and ending in April. The PFMC
Salmon Technical Team is currently meeting in Portland to draft the
?Preseason Report I-Stock Abundance Analysis for 2009 Ocean Salmon
Fisheries? and to consider any other estimation or methodology issues
pertinent to the 2009 ocean salmon fisheries. Stock assessments and
ocean salmon seasons are critical to maintaining and meeting
conservation goals.

In 2008, all ocean salmon seasons were closed for the first time in
California history. The closure was enacted to protect Sacramento River
fall Chinook stocks. These stocks are considered a primary driver of
both commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast of
California and most of Oregon. The PFMC and the FGC closed all ocean
Chinook salmon fisheries in 2008, south of Cape Falcon, Oregon.

DFG will hold a public salmon information meeting March 3 in Santa Rosa
to present information pertinent to California salmon fisheries and
gather public input regarding the 2009 season.

The PFMC will conduct public hearings to receive comments on three
proposed ocean salmon fishery management options scheduled to be adopted
March 7-13 in Seattle. A PFMC public hearing will be held March 31 at 7
p.m. in Eureka at the Red Lion Hotel. The PFMC and FGC will adopt final
2009 ocean salmon regulations in April. For further information about
the 2009 PFMC salmon management process, work sessions or hearings,
please contact Mr. Chuck Tracy at (503) 820-2280 ext. 415, or toll free
1-866-806-7204.

[My IRA]

Makes you wonder why they had a Sacramento River season opener last 11/1-12/31 2008. Go Figure? Maybe that's why the return was lower?

[1TUBERIDER]

Sounds like another year of no fishing for salmon is my prediction. Will we get the double whammy again of bottom fishing being closed as well?

I am sure glad I have other interests, but it makes my boat pretty useless.

[Capital Sea]

What we as a boating community should do is head up to Quatsino Sound on the Northwestern end of Vancouver Island where the fishing is as close to the good old days as can be found and remains within reach.
Salmon fishing in the western states is going to continue to see less fish and a greater percentage of the remaining fish reserved to save native runs. Sure we will all continue to fish our local areas and we will catch some nice fish, but for a real fix we will need to use our assets to get where many others can't.

[Sea Wolf]

I agree with Capital Sea, with the addition of the following, for California and Southern Oregon, at least:

I know we all don't like the limited or total shutting down of sport fishing seasons on the rivers or oceans, but do we really want to decimate the populations that are left any further?

How about a 5 or even 10 year moratorium on any fish taking in some of these heavily decimated / impacted areas so that the fish can recover as much as they can under the environmental limitations, and our grandchildren will have fish to catch in their lifetimes?

We can allow catch and release in the meantime where it's possible to do so without killing the fish or otherwise limiting their reproduction.

It is "Sprt Fishing", isn't it, not meat gathering? (To us, at least, not the commercial fishermen.)

IMHO, if we don't limit the taking now, the situation that we have in California will move up the Pacific coast gradually through Oregon, Washington, and even into British Columbia, S..E. Alaska, and then the rest of that state.

Somewhere, sometime, sooner or later, someone or somebody has to say "enough" and let the resource recover.

I'm sure this view isn't a happy one for some, but what else is there to do?

Joe.

[Jazzmanic]

Sounds like a plan Steve!

[Capital Sea]

The always lovely sea goddess Kathleen and I have been gearing up for a couple weeks in Desolation Sound in the mid July to mid August time frame. Now we are talking about spending 4 days or so fishing out on the West side at the end of our trip. If we Ferry and drive to South of Port Hardy as our jump off place for Desolation, then pull the boat and make the short drive to the West Coast of the Island, about an hour away, then we get to come home with a freezer of Salmon. So we shall see. We have inquired with the BC fisheries guys as to run times and when the fish are expected to be in close and will pass this on when we get the word. What we do know, is that their surveys suggest this will be a strong year on the west side of the island.

[My IRA]

These fisheries are not managed, only the fishers are managed. There is no reason to fish an endangered run of fish in their spawning stream. If there is a problem with the resource, shut it down until the run can sustain fishing pressure. This is a game in CA,OR, and WA to maintain revenue from licenses at the expense of our salmon. If you want a voice in this mess, join CCA (Coastal Conservation Association). Every sportfisher needs to act now!

[lloyds]

Last season on the oregon coast the limit was 9000 coho, fin clipped. I believe the sport fishermen did their part. There are other much more destructive forces at work than sport fishermen.

[My IRA]

Lloyds,

You and I are on the same side, the CCA is a sport fishers group started on the West Coast by Gary Loomis about four years ago . It is now about 10,000 strong and growing fast and their main objective is to grow the resource and make sure that we sport fishers get a fair piece of the quota since we generate about 65% of the ODFW resource base.

Please encourage your friends to check this organization out on the Web.

[gljjr]

Actually, I don't believe that is quite right IRA. I think CCA is an East Coast organization that was extended to the west coast with a big push by Gary. Either way it seems like it is finally doing some good things in Washington for our fisheries.

IMHO the ONLY way we're going to save Salmon on the West Coast is to shut down ALL fishing for them for a minimum of 3 life cycles. Unfortunately that will not happen (at least in Washington) due to the indian treaties and greed.

Fisheries biologists have known since the early 1900's that we were killing off all the fish and it is only a matter of time until we got to this point. That is why they started hatcheries in the first place. For some interesting history read "Salmon without rivers".

[1TUBERIDER]

Last year Calif got a no salmon season. That included all the way to the Oregon border, but across the border in Brookings they got to fish.

Our reef just south of the Oregon border was shut down to bottom fishing last July but just north of the area bottom fishing was open.

Tell me that our area that has a great bottom fishery is not being picked on. It seems that the regulatory agency's in Calif want to close all fishing due to over crowded areas at least 300 miles south. But 30 miles north there is no problem!

I don't always believe what the regulatory agency's are saying about the fish population is true and that the regulaltory agency's goal is to regulate. They distort the information they receive on fish that are caught by inaccurate counting estimates. Then use this information to do what they have already planned to do.
Yes regulate and shut us down.

So believe what you want, but lets see some consistency in fishing rules on the West coast.

[lloyds]

From what I have personally seen, I believe most of what the ODFW says about oregons' salmon stocks. My son in law is a fisheries biologist with them and used to do research out of OSU on salmon stocks and I think they do their best to forecast runs and I am confident they are getting accurate counts to support their applied limits. The 9000 fish limit last year on coho was about half harvested by the fishermen out of brookings and other points south. Central and northern coast had poor ocean conditions and couldn't get out plus the fish seemed to stay south for a longer period last year. There was really only about a week where the central coast had fishing so we didn't get much of the 9000 up north. But as long as foreign boats and native americans are allowed harvesting I don't think our small sport fishing quotas are going to have much of an impact.

[My IRA]

You're all right, the CCA originated on the East coast in 1978 ( I was referring to the West coast chapters only). Secondly, I and most others respect highly the work of biologists to grow the resource (the pay is not that great and you take allot of abuse from user groups and the government). Thirdly, if the resource is left politically managed (as it is now), we may need to shut down all harvest. Finally, overregulation and frustration is spoiling much of the enjoyment of the sport for all of us.

I have watched as our ODFW (in an attempt to preserve revenue) moved from a focus harvest of Coho, to Chinook, to Halibut, and finally bottomfish (inside 20 fathoms only) in an effort to provide some opportunities in a politically mismanaged resource. The ODFW is regulated by the ODFW commission which is appointed by our Governor. The Commission (if selected properly) is designed to represent all user groups and the resource. However, when the commission isn't balanced, the mess becomes a political free-for-all (where it's at now).

I encourage each of you to give CCA a look and if you like what you see, get involved by joining or starting a local chapter. We need a strong political voice in all of our states to turn this train around.

[Capital Sea]

Protection, preservation and restoration of the Salmon resources are not goals that any one state or any one user group can achieve. This challenge IS political as a result of how and where these migratory fish spend their lives. California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska all have their departments of F&W. US federal government (NMF), BC government and Tribal government all have a role to play in management of the resource. Salmon harvested in "Alaskan" waters have a direct effect on the number of adult Salmon that return to the terminal areas, rivers and streams in BC, WA and OR. This in turn can and has effected management choices in these jurisdictions. And the choices made in the waters of any one state always involve harvesting fish originating from and that would return to other states.

The state and provincial agency policies are too often effected by budget limitations and fluctuations. This fact has resulted in a linkage between license fees and the funding used for management and enhancement. This has a positive effect but also exposes the management choices to be driven by license revenue.

The commercial fishing industry has very strong influence on the state, national and international stages. The sport fishing community has struggled in terms of influence in part as a result of its inability to present a productive and unified voice. Too often, for instance, the sport fishing community has aimed its ire at the tribal community. Mass marking of salmon has been and will continue to be a positive step forward.

Now, having the federal government and Alaska as working partners along with the lower Western states, BC and the Tribal community of governments may be possible for the first time in over a decade. Still, the financial crisis will crush critical funding at the state and federal level even as the cost of fishing licenses doubles or triples and the resource continues to decline. Even worse is the prospect of state F&W agencies setting sport seasons based upon their reduced ability to manage the seasons, or the potential that season setting will be based upon only the science that the agencies can afford.

Anyway, work needs to continue in terms of building an environment where all of the governments and consumers can come together and do a better job of managing the entire resource. And, since we are dealing with a greatly weakened resource, this must include land use, growth, industrial, agricultural and timber management. The challenge could not be more complex, but a few thousand people go to work every day to bring about the change and cooperation this challenge demands.

These are the opinions of Steve and have not been reviewed or contributed to by my better half.