Fishermen to Protest Salmon Harvest Cuts

Ventura fishermen are planning to travel to Morro Bay for a public meeting Wednesday to discuss alternatives to the government’s proposed 50% cut in the allowed annual salmon harvest.

Members of the commercial and salmon sportfishing fleet are going to voice their opposition to the proposed cuts, said Tom Roff, president of the Ventura County Fisherman’s Assn.

The proposed cuts are being made by the National Marine Fisheries Service as a way to protect the endangered winter-run Chinook salmon. The agency wants to cut in half the length of the fishing season and increase the minimum size for any fish caught.

Wednesday’s meeting is being held by the Pacific Fishery Management Council--an independent, federally funded group that manages fish harvests in the waters off California, Oregon and Washington.

The council is holding similar meetings this week in Washington, Oregon, and Eureka, Calif.

Although most of the average 7 million pounds of salmon caught each year are the fall-run Chinook salmon from the Sacramento River, government scientists say that a small number of endangered winter-run Chinook are also caught at that time.

Yet, fishermen point out that the government’s own statistics show that no winter-run salmon were caught in two of the last three years.

The Sacramento winter-run Chinook salmon once numbered as many as 40,000 fish a year.

But three years ago, the census count of the species fell to a low of 189 fish. Last year, biologists counted about 341 fish returning to the river to spawn. Government scientists estimate that at least 500 spawners are needed for the species to avoid extinction.

The meeting will go over alternatives to the government plan.

It is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Morro Bay Community Center, 1001 Kennedy Way.