PDF version of this press release available here
Pacific Fishery Management Council Chooses Options for 2010 Salmon Season: A Range of Possibilities for California; In North, More Chinook, Fewer Coho
Sacramento, Ca. – The Pacific Fishery Management Council today adopted three public review options for the 2010 salmon season off the West Coast of the United States. The Council will select a final option at their next meeting in Portland, Oregon on April 10-15.
California and Central Oregon (south of Cape Falcon)
Sport season options
California ocean sport fishing options for the Fort Bragg, San Francisco, and Monterey areas range from entirely closed to nearly full summer seasons with April 3 openings, although there are options to raise size limits from 20 to 24 inches in the San Francisco and Monterey areas to protect ESA-listed Sacramento Winter Chinook.
Chinook ocean sport fishing options for the Eureka, Crescent City, and Brookings areas have start dates ranging from late May to early July, and all options run through Labor Day.
For the Tillamook, Newport, Coos Bay, and Brookings areas, recreational options include mark-selective coho fishing seasons starting in June or July and running into August, with quotas of between 25,000 and 35,000, less than half of the 2009 quota. Chinook fishery options range from two to six months.
Commercial season options
Commercial ocean Chinook salmon fishing options in California range from closed to substantial seasons in all areas. Options for the Oregon season in the Brookings area range from small quotas in June and July to traditional time/area and quota-based seasons running from May through August. In central Oregon, season options have May 1 start dates and run through August or September. California and Oregon options also include a catch-and-release genetic study during closed periods.
Unlike last year, there will not be any commercial fisheries for coho salmon in central and southern Oregon in 2010.
Background for area south of Cape Falcon
In 2008 and 2009, poor Sacramento returns led to the largest fishery closure on record. While this year’s run should be better, the season options are still limited. Last year about 122,000 fish were expected to spawn, but only about 39,000 actually returned. Without any fishing, 245,000 fish are expected to return to the Sacramento River this year. This year the Council will manage for a minimum conservation goal of 150,000 – 180,000 spawning adult salmon to provide more assurance of meeting the minimum goal of 122,000.[1]
Also in California, Klamath River Fall Chinook are forecast to meet the minimum natural spawning goal of 35,000, and the 2010 management objective of 40,700.
Coho returns are expected to be lower in 2010, and quotas for Oregon fisheries will be substantially less than in 2009.
Northern Oregon and Washington (north of Cape Falcon)
Sport season options
Ocean all-salmon sport fishery options north of Cape Falcon in Oregon and off the Washington coast have mark-selective coho quotas ranging from 58,800 to 92,400 that start in late June or early July and run into September. The 2010 coho quota options are about one-third of the 2009 quota. There are also options for Chinook-only fishing in June, including one option that only allows marked hatchery Chinook to be kept.
Commercial and tribal season options
Non-Indian ocean commercial fishery options north of Cape Falcon include traditional Chinook seasons in the May-June timeframe and all-salmon seasons in the July-to-September timeframe. One all-salmon season option includes a gear restriction to target primarily Chinook salmon and avoid coho salmon. Chinook quotas for all areas and times range from 40,000 to 55,000, which are twice or more of the 2009 quota. The coho quotas range from 10,000 to 18,000, one-third to one-half the 2009 quota.
Tribal ocean fisheries north of Cape Falcon are similar to recent years, although coho quotas are also much smaller than in 2009.
Background for area north of Cape Falcon
The 2010 Columbia River tule Chinook forecasts are much improved over 2009. The hatchery coho forecasts for the Columbia River are about a third of the 2009 forecast, which was the best since 2001. The forecast for Oregon coastal natural (OCN) coho is also lower than in 2009, but still better than average.
Management Process
Public hearings to receive input on the options are scheduled for March 29 in Westport, Washington and Coos Bay, Oregon; and for March 30 in Eureka, California. The Council will consult with scientists, hear public comment, and revise preliminary decisions until it chooses a final option at its meeting during the week of April 10 in Portland, Oregon.
At its April 10-15 meeting in Portland, the Council will narrow these options to a single season recommendation to be forwarded to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for their final approval before May 1.
All Council meetings are open to the public.
Council Role
The Pacific Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 for the purpose of managing fisheries 3-200 miles offshore of the United States of America coastline. The Pacific Council recommends management measures for fisheries off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington.
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On the Web
Detailed options for 2010 salmon management are posted here.
- Pacific Fishery Management Council: http://www.pcouncil.org
- Geographical points used in salmon management: http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/geosalmon.pdf
- Explanation of common terms used in salmon management: http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/com_terms_salmon.pdf
- Description of 2010 salmon management process: http://www.pcouncil.org/salmon/current-season-management/salmon-2009-preseason-process-work-sessions-and-hearings/
- Sacramento River fall Chinook escapement (number of salmon returning to spawn), 1970-2008 (raw numbers): http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/Sacramento-escapement-1970-2008-numbers.pdf
- Sacramento River fall Chinook escapement (number of salmon returning to spawn), 1970-2008 (graph): http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/Sacramento-escapement-1970-2008-graph.pdf
[1] The conservation goal, or escapement goal, is the optimal number of adult fish returning to spawn in order to maximize the production of the stock.
