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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>Feds may drastically cut salmon season;
Experts say low numbers of chinook in Klamath, Trinity rivers could even spur
cancellation of commercial, sport fishing<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 2/24/06<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>By Katy Hillenmeyer, staff writer</span></font></b><font
size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>Regulators may severely curtail commercial and sport salmon fishing off
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>
this year, and could even cancel the season.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>The number of mature chinook salmon leaving the ocean to spawn in the
Klamath and Trinity rivers has fallen short of a goal of 35,000 two years
running, biologists said.<br>
<br>
And the forecast for wild salmon returning to the Klamath this year is lower
than it's been since 1992, which industry experts say could trigger a shortened
fishing season from northern <st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State> to <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Monterey</st1:City></st1:place>.<br>
<br>
"The way that the stars are aligned, it would be the most restrictive year
since 1992," said Rod McInnis, southwest regional administrator for the
National Marine Fisheries Service.<br>
<br>
Even with commercial and recreational fishing prohibited through August between
<st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State>'s <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Cape</st1:PlaceType>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Falcon</st1:PlaceName> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>'s Point Sur - and with tribal and
sport fishing banned on the Klamath - the wild salmon would barely top 29,000,
biologists predict.<br>
<br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Bodega</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>'s salmon fishing season typically
ends Sept. 30.<br>
<br>
After 1992's dismal spawning forecast, "it's the second lowest .. . on
record," said Chuck Tracy of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which
advises <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> regulators
about offshore fishing limits in <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Washington</st1:State></st1:place>.<br>
<br>
The March 15 opening of salmon fishing off <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Fort</st1:PlaceType>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Bragg</st1:PlaceName> is likely to be postponed, he
said, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Bodega</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> fishermen may again see their
traditional May1 opening pushed into mid-summer.<br>
<br>
"The whole fishery could be delayed or not happen," <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Tracy</st1:City></st1:place> said Thursday. "I doubt there will
be anything like last year's seasons. I think that would be pretty
optimistic."<br>
<br>
Tens of thousands of salmon died in 2002 when water diversions for agriculture
in <st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State> left the <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath
River</st1:place> too low and too warm, an episode that has had lasting
effects on ocean fishermen's freedom to harvest fall chinook.<br>
<br>
Conservation-driven limits delayed the commercial season off <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Bodega</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
last summer until July 4, cutting nine weeks out of a five-month season. Thanks
to higher prices, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>'s
salmon fishermen still grossed $12.8 million in 2004, industry records
indicate, a year after reaping $18.4 million.<br>
<br>
The Portland, Ore.-based fishery management council will not finalize the last
of its 2006 chinook recommendations to federal regulators until April. But
fishermen, including many coming off a delayed crab season, are prepared for
another short summer.<br>
<br>
"The worst scenario is there would be no fishing whatsoever for salmon;
the best would be typical of last year's season," said Chuck Wise, a <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Bodega</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
fisherman who earns half of his income off salmon. "There will be full
fishing below Point Sur, but there are not many salmon close to the coast of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place>."<br>
<br>
Wise, who presides over the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Associations, said it wouldn't be worth the cost of fuel to fish south of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Monterey</st1:City></st1:place>.<br>
<br>
Fishermen will lobby for an emergency exception to allow fishing in spite of
conservation shortfalls, he said.<br>
<br>
Under a federal law to sustain fisheries, if salmon spawning targets are missed
three years in a row, "that triggers an overfishing review," said
Allen Glover, a senior biologist in Santa Rosa with the state Department of
Fish and Game.<br>
<br>
So "without an emergency rule to go fishing, legally we can't go fishing
under federal law," he said. "We're all waiting for the National
Marine Fisheries Service to tell us whether we can go fishing."<br>
<br>
Salmon from the <st1:City w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:City> and <st1:place w:st="on">San
Joaquin</st1:place> rivers are plentiful again this year.<br>
<br>
"But it's the water situation on the Klamath that's created all this
problem," Wise said. "As long as they keep pumping all the water out
of the Klamath, this is never going to change."</span></font><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Advisor, California Trout, Inc</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org">bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org">http://www.fotr.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><u><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:blue'>http:www.caltrout.org</span></font></u><font
color=lime><span style='color:lime'> </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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