The National Marine Fisheries Service adopted the emergency rule drafted recently by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, which gives this area 20 days of fishing during the spring an another six in the fall. Anglers can keep two king salmon a day from May 15 through July 4 and Sept. 1 through 6. The minimum size is 24 inches.

The emergency rule was needed to dip below the floor of 35,000 wild spawning salmon set to protect fish stocks into the future. This year, only 25,000 were projected to return. By timing the fisheries in different zones up and down the coast to avoid Klamath fish that mix with fish from other rivers with stronger stocks, fish managers believe that that floor can be reset to 21,000 this year without harming the population in the Klamath.

There will be no commercial salmon fishing off Humboldt County. The nearest open zone is in the Fort Bragg area, where fishermen will be able to catch a total of 4,000 salmon from Sept. 1 to 15. They can keep 30 fish over 27 inches long per day.

The regulations can be found at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov.  (see below article)

The year is being considered a disaster by most on the North Coast, and legislators and public officials have been seeking federal relief for the closures. Closures and severe limits on ocean fishing are occurring all along the West Coast due to the weak Klamath River stocks.

”We are acutely aware of the impact this rule has on fisherman and coastal communities, but feel this is a necessary step to ensure the long-term health of the salmon fishery,” said NMFS southwest region director Rod McInnis “My staff has been working on an economic analysis to specifically quantify the impact on the fishing season.”