Terry Thomas
03-12-2008, 03:55 PM
This was copied from the Sacramento Bee web site:
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State and federal officials Wednesday morning took the pre-emptive step to close seven salmon fishing zones on the California and Oregon coasts earlier than usual to protect chinook that remain alive in the ocean.
The action came during a conference of state and federal wildlife officials gathered for the Pacific Fishery Management Council meetings this week in Sacramento, said Peter Dygert, a biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The agencies decided early closures are needed because the council won't make a final ruling on the 2008 salmon season until mid-April, and seasons that normally open before then could jeopardize the species.
The seven zones include two commercial fishing areas off the Oregon coast that were set to open Saturday and one California zone near Fort Bragg that would have opened April 7.
The rest of the commercial season normally begins May 1.
Opening of the two Oregon zones will be delayed until April 15 at the request of Oregon state officials. But Dygert said subsequent actions probably would keep them closed.
Four recreational zones also were closed early. They cover the entirety of the Oregon and California coasts except for a zone near the Klamath River and were set to open either March 15 or April 5. One near Fort Bragg has already been open since Feb. 16 and will now be closed April 1. The others will not open as scheduled.
The actions come amid a steep decline in the California Central Valley fall chinook salmon run, a normally robust run that underpins the fishery in both states. Last year's run was the second-lowest in 35 years of record-keeping, and this year is likely to be
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State and federal officials Wednesday morning took the pre-emptive step to close seven salmon fishing zones on the California and Oregon coasts earlier than usual to protect chinook that remain alive in the ocean.
The action came during a conference of state and federal wildlife officials gathered for the Pacific Fishery Management Council meetings this week in Sacramento, said Peter Dygert, a biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The agencies decided early closures are needed because the council won't make a final ruling on the 2008 salmon season until mid-April, and seasons that normally open before then could jeopardize the species.
The seven zones include two commercial fishing areas off the Oregon coast that were set to open Saturday and one California zone near Fort Bragg that would have opened April 7.
The rest of the commercial season normally begins May 1.
Opening of the two Oregon zones will be delayed until April 15 at the request of Oregon state officials. But Dygert said subsequent actions probably would keep them closed.
Four recreational zones also were closed early. They cover the entirety of the Oregon and California coasts except for a zone near the Klamath River and were set to open either March 15 or April 5. One near Fort Bragg has already been open since Feb. 16 and will now be closed April 1. The others will not open as scheduled.
The actions come amid a steep decline in the California Central Valley fall chinook salmon run, a normally robust run that underpins the fishery in both states. Last year's run was the second-lowest in 35 years of record-keeping, and this year is likely to be