California Department of Fish and Game

New Ocean Salmon Update and Frequently Asked Questions

April 4, 2008

The Fish and Game Commission took emergency action on March 28, to conform to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) actions affecting state waters.

Emergency action was taken by the PFMC and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to close the ocean sport fishery between Horse Mountain and Point Arena on April 1, 2008.

In addition, emergency action was taken to close the April 5 sportfishing openers in San Francisco and Monterey port areas (south of Point Arena to the U.S.-Mexico Border).

These actions are being taken to protect Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon which returned to the Central Valley in 2007 at record low numbers. Even if all ocean sport and commercial fisheries are closed throughout California, salmon returns are not projected to meet the escapement goals required by the PFMC Salmon Fishery Management Plan.

The PFMC has produced three ocean salmon fishing season options (effective May 1, 2008 through April 30, 2009) for public comment.

- Option 1 provides very limited commercial and sport fishing after May 18.
- Option 2 provides no commercial or sport fishing after March 31 but allows a non-retention research project to collect tissue samples for genetic stock identification analyses.
- Option 3 provides no fishing between Cape Falcon, Oregon and the U.S.-Mexico border.

On April 1, the PFMC held a public hearing meeting in Eureka to receive comments on the proposed ocean salmon fishery management options adopted by the PFMC. The PFMC will then meet April 7-11 in Seattle to adopt a final regulatory packet from the three options listed above. More information regarding the PFMC meetings and options can be found on the PFMC Web site at www.pcouncil.org

2008 Ocean Salmon Sport Fishing Season: Frequently Asked Questions

Is the California ocean salmon fishery closed in April?
All California ocean sport and commercial salmon fisheries will be closed in April. Emergency action was taken by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the California Fish and Game
Commission (FGC) to close the ocean sport fishery between Horse Mountain and Point Arena (Fort Bragg Area) beginning April 1, 2008. Emergency action was also taken to close the April 5 sport fishing openers in San Francisco and Monterey port areas (south of Point Arena to the U.S.-Mexico Border).

Why are these emergency actions needed?
In 2007, less than 88,000 Sacramento River fall Chinook (SRFC) adults returned to spawn in the Sacramento River Basin. This is the lowest escapement of SRFC observed since 1992 and the second lowest return on record. This is well below the annual conservation objective of 122,000-180,000 adult spawners required by the PFMC's Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

With less than 1,900 SRFC jacks (age 2 fish) returning in 2007 (lowest on record), fishery scientists forecast approximately 59,000 SRFC adults (ages 3, 4, and 5) alive in the ocean in 2008. Thus even without any additional ocean and in-river fishing in 2008, SRFC will not meet their FMP spawner goal. It is also forecasted that the number of adult spawners returning to state and federal hatcheries will be well below the 16,000 SRFC adults needed to meet annual egg-take goals for the stock.

Since SRFC contribute significantly (generally 80-90%) to California's ocean sport and commercial fisheries, as well as to Oregon's fisheries south of Cape Falcon(60-80%), the PFMC, NMFS and FGC have closed April fisheries in California and March fisheries off of Oregon to protect SRFC.

Are the salmon sport seasons closing for the entire year?
The PFMC will meet April 6-12 in Seattle, WA. Final salmon management regulations in effect from May 1, 2008 through April 30, 2009 will be adopted during this meeting. In March, the PFMC adopted three options for California's ocean salmon fisheries:

?Ģ Option 1 provides 9-10 days of sport fishing in each major port area.
?Ģ Option 2 provides no 2008 sport or commercial season; however a catch-and-release commercial fishery would be conducted to collect genetic tissue (fin clips).
?Ģ Option 3 does not allow any ocean fishing between Cape Falcon, Oregon and the U.S.-Mexico border between May 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009.

More specific information can be found at www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salpreII08/Preseason_Report_II_2008.pdf

Why was the Fort Bragg ocean salmon sport fishery open in February and March?
Each April, the PFMC and FGC adopt ocean salmon regulations that are in effect from May to the following April. The 2008 season opener for Fort Bragg was determined at the April 2007 PFMC and FGC meetings.

How many fall-run Chinook returned to the Klamath River system?
The PFMC's FMP requires that at least 35,000 Klamath fall Chinook (KFC) adults return to spawn in natural areas. In 2007, approximately 59,700 adults returned to the Klamath Basin to naturally spawn; however the total jack return was a record low of only 1,600 fish.

Since the FMP conservation objective for KFC was not met the previous three years (2004-2006), an overfishing concern was triggered in 2007. This concern remains in effect during 2008.

Which salmon stocks are caught off the coast of California?
The majority of salmon caught off the coast of California are Central Valley Chinook (fall and late fall runs). There are also small numbers of Sacramento River winter Chinook, Central Valley spring Chinook, California coastal Chinook, Klamath Basin Chinook (fall and spring run), and northern stocks from Oregon and Washington contacted in California's fisheries. Generally, the closer the fishery is to the mouth of the Klamath River and the later in the year, the higher the contact rate (the fraction of the population brought to the boat) with Klamath Basin stocks. Contacts with Oregon and Washington salmon stocks generally increases as you move north along the coast.

What is the cause of the Sacramento Run Fall Chinook population decline?

NOAA's news release on the low salmon returns.
www.pcouncil.org/bb/2008/0308/D1a_SUP_ATT1.pdf

CDFG is investigating potential causes for the low salmon returns.
www.pcouncil.org/bb/2008/0308/D1b_CDFG.pdf

NMFS supplemental response.
www.pcouncil.org/bb/2008/0308/D1b_SUP_NMFS.pdf

Salmon 2008 Preseason Process: Calendar of Events and Contact Information
Link to 2008 ocean salmon fisheries management calendar: www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/salmonpreseason.asp

For additional information, please contact the CDFG's Ocean Salmon Project at (707) 576-3429

(This FAQ may be found on the Marine Region Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/salmon2008faqs.pdf )

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