Local king salmon will be on menus in California for the first time in four years after federal fishery managers voted [last] week to reopen the state’s coastal waters to salmon fishing. Since 2022, commercial fishing fleets have been barred from catching the celebrated fish in the state because of a frightening plunge in their numbers. A forecasted bump in the population prompted federal regulators to change course this year, albeit cautiously: They approved a limited commercial season, which begins in May. … Scientists pin the plight on a combination of dammed rivers, too much water drawn off for cities and farms, climate shifts such as intensifying droughts and warming temperatures, and increasingly unfavorable ocean conditions.

Other salmon news:

• The Siskiyou Daily News (Calif.): $2.9M state grant funds Scott River salmon restoration​
• Action News Now (Chico, Calif.): 129,000 fall-run inland Chinook Salmon released by CDFW into Lake Oroville
• CalTrout: Blog: CalTrout’s 2026 policy priorities — advancing solutions for California’s native species and wild places