Bad news for 2009 Salmon Season
Most of the fall run salmon return data is now available and the news is not good. It appears there can be no salmon fishing season in 2009. In 2007, 90,000 fall run fish returned to the Central Valley system to spawn. The fishing season was closed because a minimum of 121,000 returns are needed for the species to survive long term. In 2008, the returns are estimated to be only 60,000 fish, a 23% drop from 2007 and the 2008 fishing season was completely closed. The disaster deepens. Stakeholder groups are asking for another year of trucking hatchery fish around the delta to avoid the low water and delta problems. DFG, NMFS, and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will truck again in 2009 but the levels are yet to be established. Water4fish.org.
Steve Kopp