Commercial fleet will remain tied up
BY KENNY PRIEST
WON Staff Writer
EUREKA – At the March Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting, the Council voted on and approved three alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries along the California coast for 2025. Alternatives one and two lay out severely abbreviated seasons with strict harvest limits for commercial and recreational salmon fishing. Alternative three, if selected, would shut down the salmon season for the third straight year. After reviewing and commenting publicly on the options, sport and commercial anglers were fairly divided on whether there should be a short season or another closure.
At the April 15 PFMC meeting, in what on the surface appears to be a very controversial and head-scratching decision, the council acted to recommend limited fishing opportunities for California’s recreational ocean salmon fisheries through the end of 2025. This decision was made knowing that fewer Chinook salmon returned from the ocean to spawn last year than in 2023 and this year’s ocean abundance for the Sacramento and Klamath are at historically low numbers.
The 2025 recreational ocean salmon season dates for the California coast are as follows:
- For ocean waters between the Oregon/California state line and the U.S/Mexico border, the season will open June 7-8, with a 7,000 Chinook summer harvest guideline. If the limit is not attained in those two days, the fishery will open again July 5-6. July 30-Aug 3 and Aug 25-31 are the additional dates available in late July and August for use until the summer harvest guideline is attained.
- For ocean waters between Point Reyes and Point Sur (portions of the San Francisco and Monterey subareas), the fall fishing season will open September 4-7, with a 7,500 Chinook fall harvest guideline. If this guideline is not attained, the fishery will reopen September 29-30. Additional days are available in October between Point Reyes to Pigeon Point if any of the fall harvest guideline remains.
The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. The daily bag limit is two Chinook salmon per day. No more than two daily bag limits may be possessed when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit. Retention of coho (silver) salmon is prohibited in all ocean fisheries off California.
To our north in Brookings, the Chinook season will be open from May 16 to June 6, and June 30 to July 15. The mark-selective coho fishery begins June 7 and will run through the earlier of Aug. 24, or 44,000 marked coho quota.
During this week Fish and Game Commission meeting, CDFW recommended abbreviated seasons on the Feather, Mokelumne, and American. The main stem Sacramento, Klamath, and Trinity were recommended for full closures. These recommendations will be decided upon at the May 14 California Fish and Game Commission meeting.
