Tag Archives: Scott Artis

Some Fishermen Blame California Water Policies for Salmon Season Closures

The Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously recommended the closure of all California commercial and recreational ocean salmon fisheries through 2024, after a similar closure last year, blaming drought, climate and other factors for dwindling stocks. “While incredibly painful to fishing families and fishing communities, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens Associations supports the closure,” said George Bradshaw, president of PCFFA. “We all need to be doing everything we can to give Californias salmon a chance to recover. It has to be an all hands-on deck effort to ensure survival for our Central Valley and Klamath salmon runs.” Video, more, >>click to read<< 09:14

‘Simply catastrophic’: California salmon season to be restricted or shut down — again

California’s fishing industry is bracing for another bad year as federal managers Monday announced plans to heavily restrict or prohibit salmon fishing again, after cancelling the entire season last year. The Pacific Fishery Management Council today released a series of options that are under consideration, all of which either ban commercial and recreational salmon fishing in the ocean off California or shorten the season and set strict catch limits. California’s commercial fleet and recreational anglers still await federal disaster aid for last year’s losses. Tommy “TF” Graham also will keep working on land. A commercial fisherman based in Bodega Bay, he got a Class A driver’s license so he could drive a truck and stay afloat through the closures. Now, when he’s not crab fishing, Graham wakes up at 3 a.m. to drive frozen and farmed salmon and other fish from around the world into San Francisco. “A guy has got to get up and put his boots on and go to work every day,” Graham said. Still, he said, “I used to be a provider, now I’m a consumer. It feels like shit, to tell you the truth.” more, >>click to read<< 21:24