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<h1><b><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>U.S.
OKs slashing salmon season <br>
Restrictions could hurt fishermen, markets, restaurants</span></font><o:p></o:p></b></h1>
<p class=author><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><!-- START WRITER CREDIT--><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:glenmartin@sfchronicle.com"><!-- END HEADLINE/DECK & SUBHEADLINE/SUBDECK -->Glen
Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=date><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Saturday, April 29, 2006<o:p></o:p></span><!-- END WRITER CREDIT--></font></b></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><!-- end #contentheader --><!-- <hr> now part of stylesheet <hr noshade size="1" color="#CCC" />--><!-- START STORY --> <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
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<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>The federal government on Friday adopted an advisory
council's recommendations for deep cuts to the 2006 <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State>
and <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>
salmon season -- a decision that could bankrupt many fishermen and result in
shortages of wild chinook salmon in supermarkets and restaurants. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>The decision, made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Fisheries Service under the authority of the U.S. Department
of Commerce, confirms a recommendation made this month by the Pacific Fishery
Management Council. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>For commercial fishermen, the decision came at the 11th hour.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Typically, the commercial season begins on May 1. Friday's
decision will allow fishermen to begin trolling on the traditional date, but
only under severe restrictions. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>The usually productive waters from <st1:City w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:City> to central <st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State> will
be off-limits for commercial fishing throughout most of the season in order to
protect stocks of threatened <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath River</st1:place>
salmon. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>There are plenty of salmon in the sea, but most are <st1:place
w:st="on">Sacramento River</st1:place> fish. Because Klamath and <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City> salmon mingle
in the ocean, regulators say, restrictions must be imposed when Klamath salmon
fall to critical levels -- as they have in recent years. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Commercial fishing in <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State>
will be allowed in the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Monterey</st1:place></st1:City>
region from Pigeon Point south in May, and will be restricted further beginning
in June, when fishing will only be allowed south of Point Sur until July 26. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Commercial fishing will be allowed north to Point Arena after
July 26 but will be restricted to 75 fish per boat per week. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>A limited trolling season also will be allowed around <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Fort</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Bragg</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>
in September. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Everything considered, the 2006 season won't yield enough
fish for salmon trollers to survive, said <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Zeke Grader</st1:PersonName>,
the executive director of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Pacific</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Coast</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Federation of
Fishermen's Associations. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>In a news release sent out on Friday afternoon, NOAA
Fisheries contended the season represents a 60 percent cut in a
"usual" salmon season. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>But Grader disputed that analysis. In real terms -- the
number of fish trollers can hope to catch, given the various season
restrictions -- the 2006 commercial season amounts to a 90 percent cut, he
said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>"For much of the season, trollers will be restricted to
southern waters, which often don't hold a lot of salmon," Grader said.
"If the salmon aren't in the water where the people are allowed to fish --
which is a very real possibility -- it will be tantamount to a complete
closure." <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Recreational anglers face significant restrictions in the
northernmost part of the state, but will be able to fish as usual out of <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:City> area ports.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>"For some reason, the data shows that recreational
fishermen in the (central state area) have little effect on the Klamath
stocks," said Grader. "It isn't clear why -- we need more
research." <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>In Friday's news release, NOAA officials said the 2006 season
restrictions will allow 21,000 mature spawning salmon to return to the Klamath
instead of the 25,000 fish that are expected. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>At least 35,000 returning salmon are considered essential by
NOAA regulators for optimum fishery production. Officials noted that Klamath spawner
returns have fallen below the 35,000 figure at least 13 times, and have
rebounded in subsequent years. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>The officials characterized the temporary lowering of the
spawner target figure as the best possible compromise that could be made with
commercial fishing interests. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>"We are acutely aware of the impact this rule has on
fisherman and coastal communities, but feel this is a necessary step to ensure
the long-term health of the salmon fishery," Rod McInnis, the director of
NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Region, said in the news release. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>But the fishing community and many environmentalists contend
that fishermen are being made to pay for federal mismanagement of the Klamath
system. They say the Klamath's salmon collapse is due to excessive water
diversion for agriculture along the river. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>The <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
Bureau of Reclamation, which controls the spigot on the Klamath, has countered
it is meeting all fisheries criteria established by NOAA Fisheries and the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> Fish and
Wildlife Service. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></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>
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