Shortened Salmon Season

[Carl Blackledge]

They need to make a punch card system that allows only a certain amount of fish caught per person or per season. No one really knows how much is harvested from the ocean and too many times I’ve heard people on Central Valley rivers catching 40-50 every season and giving them away to people they know. The laws aren’t followed and the guess work for how many are harvested are NEVER accurate. We either need more hatchery fish OR private hatcheries that could do a much better job at raising healthier fish. Unless dams are removed or more water is allotted for the river and not big AG these fish will never repopulate on their own. California politics clearly don’t care for fish and wildlife conservation. This is the reality. If anyone disagrees look at the yuba. No hatchery, cold water, no fishing pressure for the salmon yet the numbers that return there are dismal. I was told that the lower Yuba used to be called “Little Alaska” before permanently closing the take of salmon on that water. Chile and Argentina have no dams on their rivers (soon to be damed on a major river from what I hear) and HATCHERY kings thrive. I would be all for stricter laws for these fish. I still don’t know why coho aren’t raised in the sac, feather, or American. Wouldn’t that help the endangered species populations? Put less pressure on the kings if hatchery coho were allowed for take? So much not done correctly and the wrong people in charge are making the decisions.

Ross,

I agree with most of what you said, however when the state claims there aren't very many fish left, why let anybody at all fish? Save what we have and perhaps start over with smarter people? There isn't any money in fishing for the state so why should they care? however there is big money in selling the water to the farmers....That the real problem here
Carl Blackledge