CDFW recommends CLOSURE at PFMC meetings; Fed Fishery Disaster Declaration from State
IN THE NEWS:
Today, Governor Gavin Newsom and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis announced a request for a Federal Fishery Disaster Declaration to support impacted fishing communities. This request and the recommended season closure will protect salmon populations and support the fishing industry. Click Here for PDF file of press release.
Thursday, April 11: Golden State Salmon Association hosts a live press conference in San Francisco regarding the Salmon closure, click link: https://fb.watch/rnSc4pqsyY/
Read the GSSA press release, Click Here
PFMC UPDATE: Wednesday, April 10, 2024
SEATTLE – In the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) Briefing Book, Recent Reports a April 8 Letter was submitted by CDFW Director Chuck Bonham and his department heads — including Marci Yaremko (Ocean Salmon Project and Enviro Program Manager Marine Region) who represented Bonham and the Department at the PFMC meetings — advocating for a California Statewide Salmon Fishing Closure for the 2nd straight year to replenish the SALMON stocks. Click Here for full letter.
During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, NCGASA president James Stone presented a powerpoint presentation (7:43;10 mark in the PFMC YouTube Video) begged the question, why did CDFW changed the River Allotment model in the March meetings without any oversight? Why were CA SAC fish allocated to the Ocean despite the low escapement numbers? CLICK HERE for presentation.
Saturday, April 6th
SEATTLE — CDFW’s Marci Yaremko, Environmental Program Manager Marine Region 7, verbally recommended a 2024 CA Salmon Fishing Closure or Alternative 3 during today’s Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) Meeting in Seattle.
To view the Agenda, click here. To go through the Salmon Management Briefing Book that includes reports from advisory groups, click here.
You can watch the Salmon Season Setting process play out on the PFMC’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@pacificfishery182 where the meetings are broadcast LIVE and recorded the day of the meeting. Look under the channel’s LIVE header for all the PFMC meetings.
Look for the video titled: PFMC Meeting Day 1 in Seattle: 4/6/24 and scroll to the 37:60 mark to listen to Yaremko make her recommendation to the Council: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcGigLwQOXU
Yaremko seemed to reverse course today from her original guidance at the March 8, PFMC meeting in Fresno where CDFW seemed to indicate California would have a limited fishing season despite low stock numbers.
During agenda item C.6.a, Yaremko suggested to allocate the long term historical river salmon, 14% of the river run size, to OCEAN ALLOCATIONS despite their own data showing the abundance numbers were dangerously low and their escapement modeling system being off 20%.
CDFW’s March 8 Guidance: ALT 1 – 91% of the fish to ocean and 9% to river (3,033); ALT 2 – 50/50% split 16,850 each ocean and inland; ALT 3 – CLOSED
Screenshot from the PFMC video below:
Find the March 8 Pacific Fishery meeting video and scroll to the 6:25:21 mark to find this guidance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM2ZwqrNbas
High Error Rate: Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS) member James Stone’s Presentation to the Council via video from YouTube regarding CDFW’s escapement numbers being off year after year, CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE to download the POWERPOINT FILE. Escapement is the number of fish allowed to escape the fishery and spawn.
Later in today’s meeting, CDFW’s Yaremko made a motion to direct the Salmon Technical Team (STT) to set the Sacramento River Fall Chinook river recreational impact projection at 27, 500 chinook (this will be sent to the Fish & Game Commission for approval). Scroll to the 6:14:54 mark
Note: The PFMC makes Ocean Fishing management decisions, the Fish & Game Commission and CDFW make Inland River Fishing decisions.
If you would like to email CDFW your opinion about Ocean California Salmon Management, email oceansalmon@wildlife.ca.gov. If you would like to know more about the Salmon Season Setting Process: CLICK HERE for a PDF file
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is the lead agency for conserving California’s fish, wildlife and habitat resources. CDFW’s mission is to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and their use and enjoyment by the public.
