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California Halts Commercial Salmon Fishing for Third Year Due to Population Crisis

Regulators cite persistently low Chinook salmon numbers, driven by drought and water mismanagement, leaving fishing communities in economic distress.

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A chinook salmon caught on the Wacky Jacky fishing boat in 2018. Commercial salmon fishing will be banned for the third year in a row in California
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Overview

  • The Pacific Fishery Management Council has closed California's 2025 commercial salmon fishing season, marking an unprecedented third consecutive year of closures.
  • Limited recreational fishing will be permitted for the first time since 2022, with a strict statewide cap of 7,000 Chinook salmon across two brief windows in June and July.
  • Chinook salmon populations have plummeted due to prolonged drought, warming river temperatures, and agricultural water diversions, with fewer than 100,000 returning to the Sacramento River in 2024.
  • Fishing communities face severe financial strain, with many boat operators turning to alternative work as federal disaster relief funds promised in 2023 remain undelivered.
  • Experts emphasize the need for significant habitat restoration, reduced water diversions, and collaborative water management to prevent further declines in salmon populations.