CA
Pacific Fishery Management Council to Choose Final Option for 2008 Salmon Season
Author: Pacific Fishery Management Council
Published on Mar 21, 2008 - 9:27:24 AM

Portland, OR. - Today the Pacific Fishery Management Council formally announced its April 7-12 meeting in Seattle, Washington, where an option for managing West Coast salmon fisheries will be chosen and recommended to National Marine Fisheries Service. The Council invites public comment on the options; details for commenting are provided below.

On March 14, the Council adopted three public review options for the 2008 salmon season, two of which would totally close fisheries for Chinook salmon off California and most of Oregon. Seasons for northern Oregon and Washington were also drastically reduced. The Council is scheduled to take final action to choose a single option on Thursday, April 10.

"The 2008 salmon season considerations have been dominated by the unprecedented collapse of the large Sacramento River fall Chinok stock," said Council Executive Director Donald McIsaac. "Council members will now take a final vote on whether any fishing on Sacramento fish should be allowed in the ocean this year."

Options

A detailed table of options is available online.1 The options for the area south of Cape Falcon (from northern Oregon to the Mexico border) are summarized below.

Option I allows a small amount of recreational and commercial ocean Chinook fishing, and a small quota for Sacramento Basin freshwater sport fisheries.

Under Option I, sport Chinook fishing would be open on the following dates: April 15 - June 15 from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain (Oregon); Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day weekends for areas between Humbug Mountain (southern Oregon) and Pigeon Point (central California); and May 18-26 south of Pigeon Point. In addition, mark ' selective coho' only fishing (for coho that were marked at the hatchery) would be allowed between Cape Falcon and the Oregon/California border from June 22-August 31, or until a quota of up to 10,000 coho are caught.

Ocean commercial Chinook fishing would be allowed April 15-May 31 between Cape Falcon and the Oregon/California border, and August 1-31, or a 3,000 fish quota, for each of these areas in California: the Oregon/California border to Humboldt South Jetty, Fort Bragg, and San Francisco.

Option II allows a catch-and-release genetic research experiment for Chinook salmon south of Cape Falcon. This fishery is not open to the public. However, Option II also allows a sport fishery for 6,000 hatchery coho off Oregon between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mountain2. This option assumes salmon could not be kept in Sacramento Basin freshwater fisheries.

Option III would allow no ocean salmon fishing, and also assumes salmon could not be kept in Sacramento Basin freshwater fisheries.

North of Cape Falcon to the U.S./Canada border, the three options range from a quota of 15,000 to 25,000 coho (last year's limit was 140,000), and 45,000 to 25,000 Chinook (last year's limit was 32,500), split between commercial and recreational fishermen.

BACKGROUND: SACRAMENTO RIVER FALL CHINOOK DECLINE

The Sacramento River is the driver of commercial and recreational fisheries off California and southern Oregon. The minimum conservation goal for Sacramento fall Chinook is 122,000 - 180,000 spawning adult salmon (this is the number of salmon needed to return to the river to maintain the health of the run). As recently as 2002, 775,000 adults returned to spawn. This year, even with all ocean salmon fishing closed, the return of fall run Chinook to the Sacramento is projected to be 58,200. Under the option that allows small fisheries in specific areas, returns would be approximately 51,900.

Economic impacts

The economic implications of the low abundance of Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon could be substantial for commercial, recreational, marine and freshwater fisheries. In California and Oregon south of Cape Falcon (in northern Oregon), where Sacramento fish stocks have the biggest impact, the commercial and recreational salmon fishery had an average economic value of $103 million per year between 1979 and 2004. From 2001 to 2005, average economic impact to communities was $61 million ($40 million in the commercial fishery and $21 million in the recreational fishery).

The potential closure is devastating news to beleaguered salmon fleets on the west coast. California and Oregon ocean salmon fisheries are still recovering from a poor fishing season in 2005 and a disastrous one in 206, when Klamath River fall Chinook returns were below their spawning escapement goal. The catch of salmon in 2007 in these areas was also well below average, as the first effects of the Sacramento River fall Chinook stock collapse was felt.

Causes

The reason for the sudden collapse of the Sacramento fall Chinook stock is not readily apparent. The National Marine Fisheries Service has suggested ocean temperature changes, and a resulting lack of upwelling, as a possible cause of the sudden decline.3 Many biologists believe a combination of human-caused and natural factors are to blame, including freshwater in-stream water withdrawals, habitat alterations, dam operations, construction, pollution, and changes in hatchery operations. The Council has requested a multi-agency task force led by the National Marine Fisheries Service's West Coast Science Centers to research about 50 potential caustive areas and report back to the Council at the September meeting in Boise, Idaho.

"After everyone asks how this could have happened, the question then becomes 'is there anything we can do to fix it?'," said Council Chairman Don Hansen. "The Council will take an immediate step to fix what it has authority to fix, which is appropriately managing the ocean fisheries that affect this valuable resource."

Process

The Council will accept public comment on the salmon options until April 1, and at its April 7 12 meeting in Seattle, Washington. Comments may be sent to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220, emailed to pfmc.comments@noaa.gov, or faxed to (503) 820-2299. Meanwhile, scientists will also review the options to determine the effects on salmon and on the coastal economy.

Public hearings to receive input on the options are scheduled for March 31 in Westport, Washington and Coos Bay, Oregon, and for April 1 in Eureka, California. In addition, the California Fish and Game Commission will make a decision on California's state-managed salmon fisheries on April 17.

At its meeting in Seattle, the Council will consult with its scientific and fishery stakeholder advisory bodies, hear public comment, and choose a final option for ocean commercial and recreational salmon fishing. Final Council action is scheduled for Thursday, April 10. The National Marine Fisheries Service is expected to make a decision to implement the Council recommendation into federal regulations before May 1. The California Fish and Game Commission will set freshwater seasons affecting Sacramento fall Chinook salmon later in 2008.

All Council meetings are open to the public.

© Copyright YubaNet.com