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Local ports, fishermen brace for shortened salmon season
By Susan Chambers, Staff Writer
Saturday, April 09, 2005 | 1 comment(s)
TACOMA, Wash. - The decision by federal fishery managers is no surprise: Commercial salmon seasons will be shorter this year - much shorter.
The numbers of 4-year-old salmon returning to the Klamath River system are projected to be lower, resulting in an almost 50-percent reduction in the fishing season this year for southern Oregon and northern California trollers.
Between the south jetty at Florence and Humbug Mountain, including off Coos Bay, there will be no June, July or August commercial troll salmon fishing. There will be season openings until April 15; May 1 to 30; Sept. 1 to 23; and Oct. 1 to 31. Trollers will be permitted to keep Chinook that are 27 inches long or longer until April 15. After that, the minimum size will be 28 inches.
Between Humbug and the California border, fishing will be allowed until April 15 and also Sept. 3 to 30, with a 3,000-Chinook quota. Managers also modified the sizes of the fish trollers are allowed to keep and vessels fishing in these areas must bring their fish to Oregon ports.
It's unclear exactly what impacts the season will have on southern Oregon and northern California fishermen and some say it will cost coastal communities millions. In 2004, fishermen in Charleston and Newport landed the most troll-caught Chinook. Both ports had 39 percent of the state's total; combined, they had more than 75 percent of the landings.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council's salmon technical team projected fishermen would catch 144,500 Chinook between Cape Falcon on the northern Oregon Coast and Humbug Mountain, under the regulations adopted Thursday. Last year, fishermen in that area caught 240,000 fish.
Many fishermen were aware of the situation ahead of time. State and federal managers held several public meetings earlier this year, warning the fishing industry that problems three years ago on the Klamath River - low spring flows that hurt many of the young fish - are driving this year's cutbacks.
"The season's stayed at pretty much what came out of March (meetings)," Don Stevens, retired Oregon fisherman and chairman of the salmon advisory panel, said at the council meeting in Tacoma.
Earlier in the week, fishermen, managers and scientists struggled to find a way to bring some relief, any kind of compensation, to fishermen coming off a blockbuster season in 2004. Trollers talked with advisers but made no public comments to the full council Thursday when members approved the seasons.
Even under low-return conditions, managers must first allow for escapement of a set amount of Klamath River fish to ensure enough returning spawners in the future. Then any remaining fish can be divvied up among tribes, sport and commercial fishermen.
The salmon technical team's preseason report II stated, "For Klamath River fall Chinook: adult natural spawning escapement of no fewer than 35,000 fish," but fishermen at a public meeting in Coos Bay recently urged managers to go below that for just one year.
And science advisers did consider it.
Stevens said scientists ran through models using a 32,000-escapement figure, but ultimately determined it was too risky.
"It's probably better for fish and fishermen in the long run," Stevens said. "I think so."
The council also adopted sport fishing regulations for Chinook salmon. Between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mountain, recreational fishermen can catch two Chinook per day between March 15 and Oct. 31. Between Humbug Mountain and Horse Mountain in California, the season will be May 21 to July 4 and Aug. 14 to Sept. 11, with a Chinook minimum size of 24 inches. A selective coho fishery between Cape Falcon and the California border will take place between June 18 and the earlier of July 31 or a landed catch of 40,000 marked coho, with the exception of an area south of Humbug that will close July 5-31.
The U.S. Department of Commerce must confirm the council's season approvals. Complete season information will be available at the council Web site, http://www.pcouncil.org and at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Web site, http://www.dfw.state.or.us.
The numbers of 4-year-old salmon returning to the Klamath River system are projected to be lower, resulting in an almost 50-percent reduction in the fishing season this year for southern Oregon and northern California trollers.
Between the south jetty at Florence and Humbug Mountain, including off Coos Bay, there will be no June, July or August commercial troll salmon fishing. There will be season openings until April 15; May 1 to 30; Sept. 1 to 23; and Oct. 1 to 31. Trollers will be permitted to keep Chinook that are 27 inches long or longer until April 15. After that, the minimum size will be 28 inches.
Between Humbug and the California border, fishing will be allowed until April 15 and also Sept. 3 to 30, with a 3,000-Chinook quota. Managers also modified the sizes of the fish trollers are allowed to keep and vessels fishing in these areas must bring their fish to Oregon ports.
It's unclear exactly what impacts the season will have on southern Oregon and northern California fishermen and some say it will cost coastal communities millions. In 2004, fishermen in Charleston and Newport landed the most troll-caught Chinook. Both ports had 39 percent of the state's total; combined, they had more than 75 percent of the landings.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council's salmon technical team projected fishermen would catch 144,500 Chinook between Cape Falcon on the northern Oregon Coast and Humbug Mountain, under the regulations adopted Thursday. Last year, fishermen in that area caught 240,000 fish.
Many fishermen were aware of the situation ahead of time. State and federal managers held several public meetings earlier this year, warning the fishing industry that problems three years ago on the Klamath River - low spring flows that hurt many of the young fish - are driving this year's cutbacks.
"The season's stayed at pretty much what came out of March (meetings)," Don Stevens, retired Oregon fisherman and chairman of the salmon advisory panel, said at the council meeting in Tacoma.
Earlier in the week, fishermen, managers and scientists struggled to find a way to bring some relief, any kind of compensation, to fishermen coming off a blockbuster season in 2004. Trollers talked with advisers but made no public comments to the full council Thursday when members approved the seasons.
Even under low-return conditions, managers must first allow for escapement of a set amount of Klamath River fish to ensure enough returning spawners in the future. Then any remaining fish can be divvied up among tribes, sport and commercial fishermen.
The salmon technical team's preseason report II stated, "For Klamath River fall Chinook: adult natural spawning escapement of no fewer than 35,000 fish," but fishermen at a public meeting in Coos Bay recently urged managers to go below that for just one year.
And science advisers did consider it.
Stevens said scientists ran through models using a 32,000-escapement figure, but ultimately determined it was too risky.
"It's probably better for fish and fishermen in the long run," Stevens said. "I think so."
The council also adopted sport fishing regulations for Chinook salmon. Between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mountain, recreational fishermen can catch two Chinook per day between March 15 and Oct. 31. Between Humbug Mountain and Horse Mountain in California, the season will be May 21 to July 4 and Aug. 14 to Sept. 11, with a Chinook minimum size of 24 inches. A selective coho fishery between Cape Falcon and the California border will take place between June 18 and the earlier of July 31 or a landed catch of 40,000 marked coho, with the exception of an area south of Humbug that will close July 5-31.
The U.S. Department of Commerce must confirm the council's season approvals. Complete season information will be available at the council Web site, http://www.pcouncil.org and at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Web site, http://www.dfw.state.or.us.
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