California Seeks Federal Help for Salmon Fishers Facing Ban

California Seeks Federal Help for Salmon Fishers Facing Ban
FILE - Fishing boats can be seen at Pier 45 in San Francisco, March 20, 2023. A federal regulatory group has voted to officially close king salmon fishing season along much of the West Coast after near-record low numbers of the fish, also known as Chinook, returned to California's rivers in 2022. AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File
The Associated Press
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SAN DIEGO—California officials want federal disaster aid for the state’s salmon fishing industry, they said Friday following the closure of recreational and commercial king salmon fishing seasons along much of the West Coast due to near-record low numbers of the iconic fish returning to their spawning grounds.

Dealing a blow to the salmon fishing industry, the Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously approved the closure Thursday for fall-run chinook fishing from Cape Falcon in northern Oregon to the California-Mexico border. Limited recreational salmon fishing will be allowed off southern Oregon in the fall.