California commercial salmon season is shut down again
Facing the continued collapse of Chinook salmon, officials this week shut down California’s commercial salmon fishing season for an unprecedented third year in a row.
Under the decision by an interstate fisheries agency, recreational salmon fishing will be allowed in California for only brief windows of time this spring. This will be the first year that any sportfishing of Chinook has been allowed since 2022.
The decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council means that no salmon caught off California can be sold to retail consumers and restaurants for at least another year. In Oregon and Washington, commercial salmon fishing will remain open, although limited.
“From a salmon standpoint, it’s an environmental disaster. For the fishing industry, it’s a human tragedy, and it’s also an economic disaster,” said Scott Artis, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association, an industry organization that has lobbied for river restoration and improved hatchery programs.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/04/18/california-commercial-salmon-season-is-shut-down-again/