PRMC Meeting To Set Fisheries; Seeks Task Force On Causes For Decline

Columbia Basin Bulletin

March 21, 2008  

The Pacific Fishery Management Council will decide during its April 7-12 meeting in Seattle how it wants West Coast salmon fisheries managed this year off the Oregon , Washington and California coasts.

The PFMC recommendations will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service, which will later set the harvest seasons.

The Council on Thursday issued an invitation for public comment on the range of options it is considering.

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 would be greatly reduced as compared to last year. 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 chinook 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."

The options:

South of Cape Falcon (from northern Oregon to the Mexico border)

-- Option I allows a small amount of recreational and commercial ocean chinook fishing, and a small quota for Sacramento Basin freshwater sport fisheries. Sport chinook fishing would be open 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, harvest of coho that were marked at the hatchery would be allowed between Cape Falcon and the Oregon/California border from June 22-Aug. 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 Mountain . 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.

The Council says 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 2006, when Klamath River fall Chinook returns were below their spawning escapement goal, according to the PFMC. 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.

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," according to a Thursday PFMC press release.

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 NMFS' West Coast science centers to research about 50 potential causative areas and report back to the Council at the September meeting in Boise .

"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."

The Council will accept public comment on the salmon options until April 1, and at its meeting in Seattle . 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 , Wash. , and Coos Bay , Ore. , and for April 1 in Eureka , Calif. 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 NMFS 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 .hinook salmon later in 2008.

The PFMC is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 for the purpose of managing fisheries 3-200 miles offshore of the U.S. coastline. The Pacific Council recommends management measures for fisheries off the coasts of California , Oregon , and Washington .

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