West Coast Salmon Fishing Season Shut Down Due to Conservation Concerns

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has approved the closure of the 2023 season for all commercial and most recreational chinook fishing along the West Coast from northern Oregon to the California-Mexico border due to near-record low numbers of the fish. Biologists say the chinook salmon population has declined dramatically after years of drought, and many in the fishing industry say Trump-era rules that allowed more water to be diverted from the Sacramento River Basin to agriculture caused even more harm. The closure applies to adult fall-run chinook and deals a blow to the Pacific Northwest’s salmon fishing industry.