Salmon crash likely to upend fishing this year -- and maybe next 

John Driscoll

The Times-Standard

January 31, 2008

California commercial and sport fishermen are expecting this year to be a complete bust as regulators ponder whether to allow fishing due to a crash in salmon numbers in the Sacramento River .

The outlook appears increasingly dim -- and could be for next year, too. Unlike the 2006 restrictions along most of the West Coast because of flagging Klamath River salmon numbers, this year's deficit is in the key stock. While a small amount of commercial fishing was allowed below Big Sur in 2006, and there was a limited sport season, that seems unlikely this year.

Plus, Oregon coastal river runs are poor, and preliminary estimates obtained by the Times-Standard for the Klamath show a marginal run this year. An anticipated small run of 2-year-old fish on the Klamath dovetails with bleak numbers of so-called jacks in the Sacramento , a strong indicator that next year isn't going to be much better.

”I don't know if I'd go even if they gave us a season,” said Eureka fisherman Aaron Newman, who said the expectation this year is worse than last, when it was barely worth fishing.

While the Pacific Fisheries Management Council could request an emergency rule to be issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service, that appears unlikely, said Dave Bitts, a Eureka fisherman who has for years followed the council process. He expects no sport or commercial fishing in California this year.

”Where's the ray of hope?” Bitts said. “I don't see it.”

In most recent years, the number of Klamath River salmon have suppressed limits and seasons for much of the West Coast, even when there were plenty of Sacramento River fish believed to be swimming in the ocean. The idea is to protect the weak stock. But with a drought of fish from the Sacramento , Bitts can't envision how an emergency rule could go through.

There may not be many other options for commercial fishermen in that case.

”I'm not aware of a fishery that can pick up the slack when salmon crashes,” Bitts said.

Sport fishermen have also seen significant cutbacks in years when Klamath runs are hurting. This year could be even worse. There is no large number of Sacramento River fish to access, said Jimmy Smith, a Humboldt County supervisor and sport fishing representative for the Klamath Management Zone Fisheries Coalition.

”I'm worried about the weak run conditions in both the Klamath and the Central Valley streams,” Smith said. “It's not going to bode well for coming up with a full season.”

The council will set harvest limits, and estimate salmon abundance in the next several weeks. Salmon management talks begin in March, and a council meeting is set for Eureka on April 1. A final decision on the season is expected April 7 in Seattle .

John Driscoll can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material  herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed  a  prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and  educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Source:  http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_8126466