Hundreds of California and Oregon salmon trollers...

Hundreds of California and Oregon salmon trollers stayed ashore despite some of the best fishing in several years, tying up their boats in a dispute over a drop in wholesale prices. About 300 salmon fishing boats stayed ashore in Bodega Bay, Fort Bragg and Moss Landing to protest the lower wholesale prices announced for Chinook salmon, a spokesman said. Ernie Koepf, president of the Half Moon Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Assn., said the California Shellfish Co. and other major fish buyers announced earlier in the week they were dropping the price fixed in an agreement reached May 1. The price has dropped from $3.25 a pound to $2.40 per pound for large fish and from $2.50 to $1.60 for fish of less than seven pounds.