California’s commercial salmon fishing season has been shut down for a third consecutive year due to the ongoing collapse of Chinook salmon populations, marking an unprecedented moment for the state’s fishery. Only a very limited recreational season will be allowed, offering brief windows for sportfishing in June and July, with a strict quota of 7,000 fish. Experts predict the quota will likely be exhausted in the first open weekend.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s decision effectively means no California-caught salmon will reach restaurants or markets for another year. While Oregon and Washington will continue with limited commercial fishing, California’s fishing communities are facing economic devastation, with hundreds of fishers and related businesses out of work.
The salmon decline stems from decades of habitat degradation, including water diversions, dam construction, and levees that dried wetlands and disrupted spawning. Climate change and recent severe droughts have worsened conditions, with returning salmon numbers in 2024 among the lowest ever recorded.
State and tribal leaders, fishers, and conservationists are pushing for major river restoration efforts, including wetland re-flooding, reduced water diversions, and dam removals. Some experts remain hopeful, citing new strategies like the California Salmon Strategy and floodplain-based habitat restoration. But critics argue these efforts fall short without more aggressive water policy reforms.
Ultimately, scientists warn that without urgent, large-scale action, California’s Chinook salmon could be lost entirely. As biologist Jacob Katz put it: “We’re balanced on the edge of losing these populations… we have to go big now.”