[env-trinity] Commission adopts river and ocean salmon season regulations (revised)

[Dan Bacher]

  http://blogs.alternet.org/danbacher/2012/04/19/commission-adopts- 
river-and-ocean-salmon-season-regulations/

Photo: The big return of jack (two-year-old) chinook salmon like  
these to the Sacramento River and its tributaries in 2011 points to  
large numbers of adult salmon coming back to spawn this year. Photo  
by Dan Bacher.




640_img_3865.jpg

Commission adopts river and ocean salmon season regulations

by Dan Bacher

The California Fish and Game Commission on April 18 voted 3 to 0 to  
approve a Klamath-Trinity River recreational salmon season with the  
highest adult fall chinook quota since 1986, 67,600 fish, and  
increased bag and possession limits due to the projected high  
abundance on the river this year.

The Commission also approved the generous ocean salmon sportfishing  
regulations adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC)  
at its April meeting in Seattle.
The Commission adopted Central Valley river salmon seasons last week.  
These seasons are similar to last year’s regulations, except that  
anglers can fish the Mokelumne River and the area on the Feather  
River below the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet this year.

Wade Sinnen, senior environmental scientist for the Department of  
Fish and Game’s Klamath Trinity Program, said the daily bag limit on  
the Klamath and Trinity Rivers will be increased to 4 adult chinooks  
over 22 inches and the total possession limit will be raised to 8  
adult chinooks.

In the Klamath River, biologists are forecasting four times more  
salmon than last year – and an astounding 15 times more than in  
2006. The ocean salmon population is estimated to be 1.6 million  
adult Klamath River fall Chinook, compared to last year’s forecast  
of 371,100.

“The projected natural adult spawning escapement after harvest is  
86,300 fish, more than double the conservation floor of 40,700  
fish,” noted Sinnen.

However, Commissioner Michael Sutton cautioned, “I want to remain on  
record with my concern that just because we have a bumper year in the  
system, that not everything is hunky-dory in the Klamath. I will be  
happier when we remove the dams, restore habitat and have all wild  
fish returning to the Klamath.”

After both proposals were adopted, Comissioner Jim Kellogg, said,  
“It’s awesome for everybody to be back on the water and to enjoy  
what nature has made available.”

The DFG announced that the generous seasons and increased fishing  
opportunities are the hallmarks of what is expected to be a “banner  
season” for ocean and river anglers.

“We are optimistic that excellent ocean and inland salmon seasons  
lie ahead for California anglers,” said Department of Fish and Game  
(DFG) Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This could be one of the best  
salmon seasons in a decade, supporting both recreational and  
commercial fishermen and their communities.”

Golden Gate Salmon Association President Victor Gonella also  
responded to the California Fish and Game Commission’s adoption of  
ocean and inland salmon seasons.

“We’re looking forward to better salmon fishing this year thanks  
in part to a more balanced use of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta waters  
in recent years which has left enough water to grow a healthy salmon  
run,” said Gonella. “Consumers can look forward to the best salmon  
in the world at their local markets. Both sport and commercial salmon  
fishermen will be out fishing and contributing to the economic  
vitality of the state, especially the coastal regions and the  
Sacramento Valley."

He noted, “We expect a lot of salmon to swim into San Francisco Bay  
on their way to spawn in Central Valley rivers this summer and fall.  
Water managers will need to retain enough cold water to help this  
valuable fish reproduce.”

“If you want to go fishing, contact one our many fine charter boats  
and they’ll do their best to get you on the fish,” added Gonella.

The Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) is a coalition of salmon  
advocates that includes commercial and recreational salmon fishermen,  
businesses, restaurants, tribes, environmentalists, elected  
officials, families and communities that rely on salmon. GGSA has a  
board composed of representatives of this diverse community, which  
reaches from Oregon to the California Central Coast, through the Bay- 
Delta and up a dozen rivers in the Central Valley.

While anglers look forward to a banner salmon season, the Brown  
administration is fast-tracking the Bay Delta Conservation Plan  
(BDCP) to build a peripheral canal or tunnel, an enormously expensive  
and environmentally destructive government boondoggle that is  
expected to hasten the extinction of Central Valley salmon, Delta  
smelt, longfin smelt, Sacramento splittail and other fish species.

The Fish & Game Commission press release is available at
http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/commission-adopts-salmon- 
season-regulation-packages.

2012 Ocean and River Salmon Seasons:

The newly adopted ocean salmon sport fishing regulations conform to  
those adopted by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council. The  
opening date in the Klamath Management Zone is May 1. All other zones  
are currently open. Complete ocean salmon regulations are posted  
athttp://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/oceansalmon.asp

On all Central Valley rivers, the daily bag and possession limit is  
two Chinook salmon.

On the Trinity and Klamath rivers the daily bag limit is four Chinook  
of any size and eight in possession prior to reaching the quota. All  
anglers must have Salmon Harvest Cards in their possession when  
fishing for salmon on the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

Other enhanced salmon fishing opportunities are available on the  
Mokelumne River and portions of the Feather River from the unimproved  
boat ramp above the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall down river.

Key elements of the newly adopted inland salmon seasons and  
regulations for Central Valley rivers and the Klamath and Trinity  
rivers are listed below. The full regulations package approved by the  
Commission is available at http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2012/ 
index.aspx

SACRAMENTO RIVER

Open Aug. 1 through Dec.16 from the Deschutes Road Bridge near  
Anderson downstream to 500 feet upstream from Red Bluff Diversion Dam.

Open July 16 through Dec. 16 from 150 feet below the Lower Red Bluff  
(Sycamore) boat ramp to the Highway 113 Bridge near Knights Landing.

Open July 16 through Dec. 16 from the Highway 113 Bridge near Knights  
Landing downstream to the Carquinez Bridge.

FEATHER RIVER

Open July 16 through Oct. 15 from unimproved boat launch ramp above  
the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall downstream to 200 yards above the  
Live Oak boat ramp.

Open July 16 through Dec. 16 from 200 yards above Live Oak boat ramp  
to the mouth.

AMERICAN RIVER

Open from July 16 through Dec. 31 from Nimbus Dam to Hazel Avenue  
Bridge.

Open from July 16 through Aug. 15 from Hazel Avenue Bridge to the  
United States Geological Survey (USGS) gauging station cable crossing  
near Nimbus Hatchery.

Open July 16 through Oct. 31 from the USGS gauging station cable  
crossing near Nimbus Hatchery to the Sacramento Municipal Utility  
District (SMUD) power line crossing the southwest boundary of Ancil  
Hoffman Park.

Open from July 16 through Dec. 16 from the SMUD power line crossing  
at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park to the Jibboom Street  
Bridge.

Open July 16 through Dec. 16. from the Jibboom Street Bridge to the  
mouth.

MOKELUMNE RIVER

Open July 16 through Oct. 15 from Camanche Dam to the Highway 99 Bridge.

Open July 16 through Dec. 31 from the Highway 99 Bridge to the  
Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam, including Lodi Lake.

Open July 16 through Dec. 16 from the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge to  
the mouth. (For purposes of this regulation, this river segment is  
defined as Mokelumne River and its tributary sloughs downstream of  
the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge, east of Highway 160 and north of  
Highway 12.)

KLAMATH RIVER

Open to fall-run Chinook salmon fishing from Aug. 15 through Dec. 31  
with a daily bag limit of four Chinook salmon of any size. The  
possession limit is eight Chinook salmon of any size. The 2012 quota  
for the Klamath River basin is 67,600 fall-run salmon more than 22  
inches long. Once this quota has been met, no Chinook salmon greater  
than 22 inches long may be retained (anglers may still retain a limit  
of Chinook salmon under 22 inches). A weekly DFG status report will  
be available by calling 1-800-564-6479.

Open to spring-run Chinook salmon fishing from Jan. 1 through Aug. 14  
with a daily bag and possession limit of two salmon. The take of  
salmon is prohibited on the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam  
downstream to Weitchpec from Jan. 1 through Aug. 14.

TRINITY RIVER

Open to fall-run Chinook salmon fishing from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31  
with a daily bag limit of four Chinook salmon of any size. The  
possession limit is eight Chinook salmon of any size. The 2012 quota  
for the Klamath River basin is 67,600 fall-run salmon more than 22  
inches long. Once this quota has been met, no Chinook salmon greater  
than 22 inches long may be retained (anglers may still retain a limit  
of Chinook salmon under 22 inches). A weekly DFG status report will  
be available by calling 1-800-564-6479. The Trinity River main stem  
downstream of the Highway 299 Bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road  
Bridge in Hawkins Bar is closed to all fishing Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.

Open to spring-run Chinook salmon fishing from Jan. 1 through Aug.  
31. The daily bag and possession limit is two Chinook salmon. The  
take of salmon is prohibited from the confluence of the South Fork  
Trinity River downstream to the confluence of the Klamath River from  
Jan. 1 through Aug. 31.

All other regulations for bag and possession limits for trout, salmon  
and other species, as well as general information about restrictions  
on fishing methods and gear on the above rivers, are available on the  
DFG website at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations



  
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