<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><o:SmartTagType
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="State"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="address"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="Street"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceName"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
h1
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
h3
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
h4
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
p.moreimgs, li.moreimgs, div.moreimgs
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.simg, li.simg, div.simg
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.simgcap, li.simgcap, div.simgcap
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1985968205;
mso-list-template-ids:199921440;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<h1><b><font size=6 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:24.0pt'>Salmon
fishing ban mulled in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>
as run suffers record plunge<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<h3><b><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>By
Matt Weiser - <a href="mailto:mweiser@sacbee.com">mweiser@sacbee.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/772762.html">http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/772762.html</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Published
12:00 am PDT Monday, March 10, 2008<br>
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p id=storyTools><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/101/v-print/story/772762.html">Print</a>
| <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/101/v-email/story/772762.html">E-Mail</a> | <a
href="http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/772762.html#comments_here"
id="comments_jump"></a>| <a
href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/772762.html"
id=diggStoryLink>Digg it</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/post"
id=deliciousStoryLink>del.icio.us</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a
href="http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2008/03/09/20/579-1M10SALMON1.standalone.prod_affiliate.4.JPG"
title="A jubilant Gary Morse of Fremont, left, with Gerry Perko, center, and fishing guide J.D. Richey, reels in his second catch of the day on the American River in Sacramento last Thursday. Richey says a dwindling salmon run - and possible fishing ban - could "><span
style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=320 height=203
id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01C88295.6E6E4EC0"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>A
jubilant Gary Morse of <st1:City w:st="on">Fremont</st1:City>, left, with Gerry
Perko, center, and fishing guide J.D. Richey, reels in his second catch of the
day on the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">American</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType> in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City>
last Thursday. Richey says a dwindling salmon run - and possible fishing ban -
could lead him to end his 10-year guiding career after this year. Hector
Amezcua / <a href="mailto:hamezcua@sacbee.com">hamezcua@sacbee.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>J.D.
Richey caught his first salmon in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">American</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
as a seventh-grader. It was just over 13 pounds, hooked on a spinning lure from
a canoe downstream of the <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Howe
Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street> bridge.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
experience so impressed him that he became a fishing guide. Now, after 10 years
helping clients from all over the world catch <st1:place w:st="on">Central
Valley</st1:place> salmon, 2008 could be Richey's final season.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>A
near-record-low fall chinook spawning run in 2007 has regulators considering an
all-out ban on salmon fishing in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>
this year. It would protect surviving fish, but for Richey and others whose lives
are tied to salmon, the future looks dim. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"<st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City> is pretty
unique in that we've had world-class numbers of salmon coming through a major
metropolitan area," said Richey, 39, who was born and raised in the city.
"<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City>
has had more salmon than lots of Alaskan rivers. We took our bounty for
granted."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
Central Valley fall chinook run is the mainstay of commercial and recreational
salmon fishing on the <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State> and <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> coasts, worth
$103 million annually. This does not include dollars generated by inland
fishing on rivers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>After 15
years of historically robust returns, the 2007 fall run saw a plunge to
near-record lows – surprising regulators who expected an average year.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Biologists
aren't certain what caused the plunge. But they suspect poor ocean conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
National Marine Fisheries Service has measured ocean food productivity since
1975, both near <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State> and in the larger <st1:place
w:st="on">Pacific Ocean</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In 2005, for
the first time in that data-keeping record, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State> productivity failed to follow the
larger ocean. Food declined in the ocean near <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>, while increasing elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Young
salmon entering the ocean from their <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>
spawning rivers may not have found enough to eat. Because salmon return to
their home rivers after two to four years at sea, last year's poor run may be
just the first proof of this theory. Fall 2008 may be worse.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"It's
going to be a hard year for the fishermen," said Peter Dygert, a biologist
at the fisheries service. "The circumstances this year for <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City> fall chinook
in particular – but for some other stocks too – are pretty bad. I
don't recall a time when fisheries have been so constrained."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
Pacific Fishery Management Council meets this week in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City> to debate the season. On Friday it
will approve one of three options for the season, including a ban. The final
option will be chosen in April.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>State and
federal agencies will then adopt final rules that take effect May 1. But Dygert
said his agency may impose limits sooner, because some areas have already
opened to fishing or will open soon, including an offshore recreational season
near Point Arena that opened Feb. 16.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
California Fish and Game Commission will consider closures on April 15
affecting state waters within 3 miles of shore, the <st1:City w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:City>
and <st1:place w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:place> rivers and major tributaries.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Some
fishing groups blame water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for
the salmon decline. They certainly have an effect: Records show the state and
federal water pumps killed about 5,800 chinook salmon between October and
February.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>But
because chinook runs in other coastal rivers also declined last year,
biologists believe ocean effects are to blame.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>That
decline occurred because the jet stream changed course in spring 2005, in turn
disrupting ocean currents. The currents drive an upwelling of nutrient-rich
waters, touching off a phytoplankton bloom that forms the base of the food
chain.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>That
bloom either failed to happen in some places or was delayed, leaving the menu
empty when hungry young salmon went looking for food.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Scientists
have said the disrupted jet stream is consistent with changes likely to be
caused by global warming.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>J.D.
Richey, then, may be one of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City>'s
first climate change victims.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"A
lot of people don't realize it's more than just a fish going away. We're losing
a significant neighbor," Richey said. "I felt this last year there
was something missing – almost at the soul level. I could just feel the
salmon weren't anywhere, and it just bummed me out."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Helping
people catch salmon on the American, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City>
and Feather rivers makes up 90 percent of Richey's business. Last year, the
salmon return was so low that he booked only a handful of trips.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>By now he
would be filling his calendar with salmon bookings for 2008. But he's not even
advertising salmon this year. On Thursday he helped two men from <st1:City
w:st="on">Fremont</st1:City> catch steelhead on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">American</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
He also plans to go after striped bass in the Delta.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>He says
he'll probably give up guiding after this year. He'll sell his gear and turn
full-time to writing for various sporting publications, which he's done part
time for several years.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Richey is
one of about 10 full-time salmon guides in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:City> whose fortunes are dimming along
with the fishing retailers, restaurants and hotels that benefit at least in
part from the chinook's annual return.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Alan
Fong, manager of Fisherman's Warehouse in <st1:City w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:City>,
said his shop is the largest tackle dealer in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
California</st1:place>. A third of its $3 million annual gross is
salmon-related.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"I
was born and raised here, and this is the worst salmon season I've ever seen in
my life," said Fong, 54. "It's going to hurt a lot of people –
put a lot of people out of business."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gary
Manies, owner of Strictly Fishin' tackle shop in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Redding</st1:place></st1:City>, said the chinook run supports 78
guides in his area. Each salmon caught, he said, is worth $700 to the local
economy.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"It's
a very, very big thing for this community," adds <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Redding</st1:place></st1:City> guide Daryl Rogers, who called a
season closure "crushing" for his business. "There are a
tremendous amount of guides here that are going to lose."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On
Friday, 46 members of Congress representing Pacific states urged Commerce
Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to declare a fishery failure. This would speed
economic aid to people like Richey, but do nothing for the fish.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"The
part that gets me all choked up is, are my kids going to be able to catch
salmon?" Richey said. "I don't know. The signs aren't looking real
good."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<h4><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>About
the writer:<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h4>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Call The Bee's Matt Weiser, (916) 321-1264.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ul>
<p class=simg><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2008/03/09/20/398-1M10SALMON2.standalone.prod_affiliate.4.JPG"
title="Guide J.D. Richey, right, lets fisherman Gerry Perko savor one of the steelhead caught on the American River Thursday. (Hector Amezcua / hamezcua@sacbee.com)"
id="more_images"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=320
height=196 id="_x0000_i1028" src="cid:image002.jpg@01C88295.6E6E4EC0"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=simgcap><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Guide J.D. Richey, right, lets fisherman Gerry Perko savor one of the
steelhead caught on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">American</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Thursday. Hector
Amezcua / <a href="mailto:hamezcua@sacbee.com">hamezcua@sacbee.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2008/03/09/20/398-1M10SALMON2.standalone.prod_affiliate.4.JPG"
title="Guide J.D. Richey, right, lets fisherman Gerry Perko savor one of the steelhead caught on the American River Thursday. (Hector Amezcua / hamezcua@sacbee.com)"><font
size=1><span style='font-size:7.0pt;text-decoration:none'>Click on photo to
enlarge</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=simg><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2008/03/09/19/579-1M10SALMON3.standalone.prod_affiliate.4.JPG"
title=" Guide J.D. Richey stays in the boat to check the hooks on the rods as his group takes a break from the pursuit of steelhead on Thursday. (Hector Amezcua / hamezcua@sacbee.com )"><span
style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=320 height=210
id="_x0000_i1029" src="cid:image003.jpg@01C88295.6E6E4EC0"></span></a><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>
</div>
</body>
</html>