California Salmon Season Set to Reopen Under Tight Catch Limits After 3-Year Shutdown

Overview

• The Pacific Fishery Management Council is expected to approve a limited reopening for commercial boats, ending California’s three-year halt that began with the 2023 collapse of Chinook runs.
• Draft rules would confine fishing to select dates and cap catches by boat, including a 160-fish limit per vessel during several periods in May and August for the San Francisco region and 100 on additional dates in September.
• The plan also includes an overall cap on fall-run Chinook taken during the season to keep pressure low on the depleted stock.
• Years of drought from 2020 to 2022, warm river water that killed eggs, dams that block habitat, and lost floodplains drove the decline, with state hatcheries and habitat projects now trying to help rebuild runs.
• Fishing communities report deep losses and thin relief, with only $20.6 million in federal disaster aid released for 2023 and some owners scrapping or selling boats while others pivoted to crabbing or left the state.