Mixed Regulations for 2024 Pacific Salmon, Rockfish Seasons

The April Meeting of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) wrapped up last week following several days of discussions on the management of salmon and nearshore rockfish.

I attended the meeting to advocate for the recreational fishing industry amid reports that the Council was forced to make some very difficult decisions that will have significant impacts on fishermen, fishing-related businesses, and coastal communities.

2024 will ultimately be another mixed year for salmon fishing, with opportunities ranging from full seasons to complete closures. ASA and our partners attended dozens of meetings to advocate for an equitable share of quotas and meaningful angling opportunities. Specific details regarding state waters are still being developed but a summary of final option recommendations is available on the Council website.

California recommended another year of complete fishing closures for Pacific salmon. ASA and other members of the recreational community argued that a short, recreational season managed under a small quota would be well received and pose very little risk to not meeting conservation objectives.

Despite the abundance of harvestable fish in the preseason model, state fisheries managers concluded that the recent history of not meeting conservation objectives leaves managers with insufficient confidence necessary to support fisheries during 2024.

Charter captains, fishing guides, and the commercial fishing industry, who will likely be eligible for disaster relief payments again this year, have been generally supportive of the complete closure options.

On a brighter note, salmon fishing opportunities in Oregon should be significantly better this year. Fisheries south of Cape Falcon were closed last year to protect Chinook salmon heading to California. This year, sufficient California impacts are available under the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan to support a recreational fishing season in this region. Although coho salmon stock assessments reflect a lower abundance than in 2023, anglers should be presented with good opportunities.

Washington anglers fishing the coast and Columbia River will have good fall Chinook opportunities but seasons and quotas targeting coho will be limited by lower abundances. Puget Sound anglers will also see limitations due to low numbers of ESA-listed Chinook returning to the Snohomish and other coastal rivers.

Concerns regarding Snohomish River Chinook became more complicated when Canadian representatives shared higher than anticipated impacts to Snohomish Chinook populations from their fisheries, resulting in additional restrictions that will likely result in the loss of thousands of angler trips in 2024.

The bright spot for Puget Sound is the coho fishery, which should offer a season this fall.

While most of the discussions focused on salmon, California will also see a significant reduction in bottom fishing opportunities in 2024. Regulations were adopted to limit encounters of quillback rockfish that were declared overfished by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2023. Additionally, measures were approved to reduce impacts to other species of conservation concern, such as copper and vermilion rockfish. Fishing opportunities vary by location and time and anglers are encouraged to visit the CDFW website for the most up-to-date information.