Rivers of a Lost Coast

With the devastating news of a disastrous return of Fall Run Chinook salmon to the Sacramento River system weighing heavily on their decision, the Pacific Fishery Management Council will release their initial forecast for the upcoming salmon season tomorrow Wednesday the 23rd. Although the Sacramento River is the center point of the salmon discussion, regional fisheries managers will be meeting in the Bay area instead of their usual meeting grounds in Sacramento. All involved believe the Council is likely to recommend a repeat of last year’s closed ocean and limited in-rivers seasons for both commercial and recreational salmon fishing. A second year of declines could take the legs out of an already severely limping commercial fishing industry.