The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will open the state's recreational fishery between Point Arena and Point Sur as scheduled on April 1. However, a recent decision by the Ocean Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) closed the state's commercial salmon fisheries and also limits the recreational season. The PFMC is scheduled to make final recommendations that could impose further restrictions April 3-7 during federal meetings in Sacramento.

"The bottom line is we need to ensure healthy stocks in the future," said DFG Director Ryan Broddrick. "Returns over the past three years have shown low numbers of naturally spawning Klamath River Chinook salmon."

Following the PFMC federal action March 10, California's commercial fishing regulations will automatically conform, closing the state's commercial salmon fishery. The PFMC also closed the sport fishery in federal waters between Point Arena (below Fort Bragg) and Point Sur (south of Monterey), however, because the PFMC is not set to make the final recommendations until the federal meetings, California's sport fishery in state waters (shore to three miles) will open as scheduled April 1.

The PFMC decision is subject to action by the California Fish and Game Commission, whose jurisdiction covers the sport salmon fishery in state waters. The Commission may consider an in-season emergency closing of the Central California sport fisheries to conform with federal action during its upcoming meeting April 7 in Monterey.

The PFMC rulings were based on updated spawning numbers, and are intended to limit any further impacts to Klamath fall Chinook salmon off the entire West Coast.br>
Other details of note:

Recreational

?Ģ For Northern California, the recreational salmon fishery between Horse Mountain (above Shelter Cove) and Point Arena, which opened in February, will remain open in federal and state waters. ?Ģ In Southern California, the recreational salmon fishery below Point Sur will open on April 1 in federal and state waters. Commercial

?Ģ California's commercial fishery was previously scheduled to open for the season on March 15. ?Ģ The emergency closure of the commercial fishery is in effect for all ocean waters from Point Sur north to the California-Oregon border, and includes more than 1,500 commercial boats (trollers) permitted through the DFG. This fishery will remain closed until further in-season review and notice by the PFMC. ?Ģ The National Marine Fishery Service is considering federal disaster relief funding for West Coast salmon-related fishing businesses impacted by the commercial closures. California's salmon resource (commercial and sport) is valued between $44 million (PFMC estimate) and $150 million (industry estimate). Alternatives to allow commercial and recreational fishing for healthy Central Valley stocks that demonstrate no impact to Klamath stocks may be considered by the PFMC as well as by the Fish and Game Commission at their upcoming meetings, said Scott Barrow, a DFG senior biologist.

Public comments concerning both California's commercial and recreational salmon fisheries will be accepted at a public hearing scheduled for March 28 at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa. The PFMC will also accept public comments for the 2006 season at its April 3-7 meeting at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento.

"In summary at this point, state and federal waters are closed to commercial fishing; sport fishing is closed in federal waters between Point Arena and Point Sur; and the state waters between Point Arena and Point Sur will open on April 1 while the Commission considers options during its upcoming meeting in Monterey," Barrow said. "The sport fishing in federal and state waters for the Fort Bragg area will remain open and below Point Sur will open on April 1."

For additional information on the PFMC ruling and up-coming meetings, log on to www.pcouncil.org or call the Ocean Salmon Hotline at 1-800-662-9825. To obtain a copy of the PFMC press release on the closures and other emergency regulations affecting the West Coast, log on to www.pcouncil.org/newsreleases/pr031306_sal.pdf.

For information on California's salmon fisheries in state waters, log on to www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/oceansalmon.html#recreational or call the Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at (707) 576-3429.