HALF MOON BAY / FISHERMAN ’ S WHARF / BERKELEY / BODEGA BAY

Boats Begin Halibut Trips on San Francisco Bay

SAN FRANCISCO - Very few boats have been venturing out on the ocean from Half Moon Bay to Bodega Bay as skippers get their boats ready for the rockfish and lingcod season beginning May 1 . The Pacific Fishery Management Council will discuss salmon season alternatives at its March meeting , but the very low Sacramento and Klamath River fall-run ocean abundance forecasts are likely to lead to a fishery shutdown this year . Some boats are starting to troll for halibut . On their first halibut trip of the year , Erik Anfinson of the Bass Tub reported , “ We only got the one halibut today and had another hooked up . Pat and Jeff looked around and checked different areas . But there is lots of water to cover ..” Mike Rescino , Captain of the Lovely Martha , reported they “ have lots of room for halibut / bass fishing starting Sunday , March 5 .” The California Department of Fish and Wildlife ( CDFW ) lifted the Dungeness crab trap prohibition in Fishing Zones 3-6 ( all areas south of the Sonoma / Mendocino county line ) for the recreational fishery on Jan . 14 , 2023 . The CDFW lifted the 50 percent commercial fishery trap reduction in Fishing Zones 3-6 on Jan . 15 , 2023 at 8:01 a . m . The current 50 percent

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STOCK ! trap reduction for the commercial fishery and trap prohibition in the recreational fishery will remain in place until lifted on the respective dates .

State and Federal Fishery Scientists Announce Dismal 2023 Outlook For CA Ocean Salmon Stocks

Low Salmon Forecast Likely to Lead to Fishery Shutdown

SACRAMENTO - At the annual Salmon Information Meeting held virtually on March 1 , state and federal fishery scientists presented the numbers of spawning salmon that returned to California ’ s rivers late in 2022 and announced the abundance forecasts for key California stocks , according to a press release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife . The 2023 projection for Sacramento River fall Chinook , the most predominant stock harvested in California ’ s fisheries , is estimated at 169,767 adults , one of the lowest forecasts since 2008 when the current assessment method began . For Klamath River fall Chinook the forecast is 103,793 adults which is the second lowest forecast since the current assessment method began in 1997 . While low and disappointing , neither abundance forecast is the lowest recorded . In 2009 , the Sacramento forecast was 122,200 and in 2017 , the Klamath forecast was 54,200 . “ Salmon numbers are episodic over time and life cycles , which

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is generally a three year period from birth as eggs hatching to returning adults from the ocean . For example , in 2022 ocean commercial catch was considerably

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Ross Corbett , Captain of Pacific Angler Sportfishing , holds up two jumbo crabs ! It has been fun to watch Captain Ross target everything from salmon , striper , halibut lingcod , rockfish and sturgeon .

Photo Courtesy of Pacific Angler Sportfishing greater than preseason expectations . The data also indicates in years following wetter hydrologic years that abundance is higher . For example , the 2010 above average rainfall year resulted in higher stock forecasts of California adult Chinook in 2012 and 2013 ,” the CDFW stated . “ Conversely drier years regularly result in lower abundance three years later . Three years ago , in 2020 , conditions were particularly severe with drought ,” the Department continued . “ This is a decades-long trend , and the past few years of record drought only further stressed our salmon populations ,” said Charlton H . Bonham , Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife ( CDFW ). “ Unfortunately , low stock abundance is somewhat expected despite protective and restorative actions California has taken to increase hatchery production , improve release strategies , and increase the availability of critical spawning and rearing habitats .” “ The current wetter weather in California is good news . Relatively

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4203 higher returns in 2019 and 2020 may help boost the number of spawning adults returning to the Sacramento Basin in 2023 , as fish hatched in 2019 and 2020 will be returning this year . Even though this boost will be moderated by evolving ocean conditions and ongoing climate disruption , there are bright spots and reasons for caution heading into 2023 and beyond ,” according to the Department . Rebuilding plans have been developed for the Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook stocks after multi-agency collaboration between the Pacific Fishery Management Council ( PFMC ), CDFW , National Marine Fisheries Service , U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service , Tribes and industry representatives . Meanwhile , other ambitious efforts to rebuild salmon are continuing , most notably implementation of the largest river restoration and dam removal project in the nation ’ s history in the Klamath Basin . The Salmon Information Meeting was attended by fishing industry participants , conservation organizations and other interested parties . During the meeting , ocean and in-river recreational anglers and commercial salmon trollers asked questions about the latest numbers and provided comments during a public listening session that followed the informational presentations . The vast majority called for the closure of the ocean and Central Valley river salmon seasons – and many blasted the CDFW and Newsom administration for the mismanagement of salmon fisheries . Stakeholder input will be taken into consideration when developing three ocean fishery season alternatives during the March 5-10 PFMC meeting . Final ocean salmon season regulations will be adopted at the PFMC ’ s April 1-7 meeting . The California Fish and Game Commission will consider and approve inland fishery seasons and regulations this spring , with final decisions in May . Following several years of poor returns to the Klamath River Basin , Klamath River fall Chinook salmon

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