California's Commercial Salmon Season Faces Second Consecutive Closure

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has announced the closure of California's commercial salmon season for the second consecutive year due to a scarcity of Chinook salmon, stemming from the state's last drought. The closure impacts hundreds of commercial fishers and tribes, prompting concerns about the species' decline attributed to water management decisions, warming oceans, and other environmental factors. Efforts to restore salmon populations include tearing down dams, restoring river flows, and improving migration pathways, but critics argue that the pace of these initiatives is too slow and that water diversions could further threaten the salmon population.