[env-trinity] Salmon shutdown sends shock waves

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_8887952
Salmon shutdown sends shock waves
The Associated Press and The Times-Standard
Article Launched: 04/11/2008 01:24:20 AM PDT




SACRAMENTO -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Thursday after West Coast fisheries managers voted Thursday to cancel all commercial salmon fishing off the California and Oregon coasts this year. 

He also sought federal disaster assistance from President Bush, and immediately signed a fisheries bill by North Coast state Senator Pat Wiggins that had been on his desk. It appropriates about $5.3 million to begin coastal salmon and steelhead restoration projects. 

While banning commercial salmon fishing, the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Seatac, Wash., decided to allow limited recreational fishing of coho salmon on holiday weekends off the Oregon coast, but no recreational fishing off California after several members of the panel argued that every salmon counts. 

Scientists and government officials are expecting this year's West Coast salmon season to be one of the worst in history, because of the collapse of Sacramento River chinook, one of the West Coast's biggest wild salmon runs. 

The California Department of Fish and Game, at Schwarzenegger's request, assessed the potential damage from the closure of the salmon season, and determined the loss to be $255 million and 2,263 California jobs. 

Although commercial salmon fishing off the Washington coast is scheduled to begin May 1, fisheries managers do not predict a good season off either the north or south Pacific coasts. 

”For the entire West Coast, this is the worst in history,” Don McIsaac, executive director of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, said before several close votes led to the fisheries plan for 2008. 

The council's decision still must be confirmed by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency in charge of salmon management. 

Even before the vote, however, officials were on to the next step: disaster relief for fishermen, said Mariam McCall, an attorney with the fisheries service. 

In addition to Schwarzenegger, the governors of Washington and Oregon also signed letters seeking a disaster declaration. Congress will be asked to make a fast decision on money to alleviate the suffering of fishermen and any other negative effects the cutback might have, said Brian Gorman, a NOAA Fisheries spokesman. 

In March, North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson, along with 46 senators and representatives from California, Oregon and Washington called on Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to give Congress the authorization to distribute disaster funds to Pacific Coast commercial fishers and related businesses. 

”California's salmon runs are a treasured state resource and provide significant contributions to our economy and our environment,” said Schwarzenegger. “Today's decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council underscores our responsibility to quickly free up state and federal resources to help the fishing industry cope with the devastating economic impacts closing the season will have.” 

Scientists are studying the causes of the Sacramento River chinook collapse, with possible factors ranging from ocean conditions and habitat destruction to dam operations and agricultural pollution. But a proposal to allow limited fishing for scientific purposes was struck down by the panel. 

In 2006, the salmon season extending from Cape Falcon, Ore., about 30 miles south of the mouth of the Columbia River, south to the Mexican border, also was severely restricted. Congress granted disaster relief totaling $62 million for fishermen in Oregon and California. 

Although the nature of the problem is different this year, the impact will be at least as broadly felt, McCall said. 

”This is such a difficult situation,” she said.

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