Salmon Forecast: Could Be Worse
Chinook Salmon Courtesy USGS
After a few brutal years, things are looking somewhat better for Oregon’s coastal salmon fishermen.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council released its salmon forecast for 2010. Salmon numbers on the Sacramento and Klamath rivers are high enough to allow for some kind of commercial fishing season off Southern Oregon and California.
Along the Northern Oregon and Washington coasts, the situation looks better. Coho numbers are down about a third from last year, but Chinook numbers are up.
Still to be determined… how much actual fishing will be allowed.
In past forecasts, we’ve seen Council officials use words like “disaster” to describe the upcoming season. Today’s announcement lacks that kind of dramatic language. Instead it says the Sacramento and Klamath forecasts are, “sufficient to support some level of ocean fishing.” While vague, that’s an improvement over 2008 and 2009 when commercial fishing off Southern Oregon and California was cancelled.
These forecasts play an important role in helping federal regulators set the 2010 commercial salmon season in the Pacific Ocean. In about a week, regulators will meet in Sacramento to come up with a range of options. One set of options will cover the West Coast south of Cape Falcon, Oregon. The other set will cover the coast north of there.
Then the feds take these options on the road with a series of public meetings scheduled for late March along the coast.
Finally, the Council meets again in April for a final vote on the fishing season. The results have to be approved by NOAA Fisheries, but the agency rarely ever makes changes.
