… While the minimal season has been met with joy from many recreational anglers who will finally have the opportunity to fish for salmon, others believe the season should not have opened. … The Sacramento River is the only viable source for salmon since the San Joaquin was dewatered close to 70 years ago, and there are four distinct runs on the Sacramento: winter-run, fall-run, late fall-run, and spring-run. The winter run was listed as threatened in 1989 and upgraded to endangered in 1994 while the spring-run was listed as threatened in 1999 and is currently under consideration for upgrade to endangered. … Opening the ocean season provides some relief for the long-suffering businesses and coastal communities dependent upon salmon, but until major changes are made in water management to allow salmon to migrate safely from the spawning grounds and the hatcheries, closed or curtailed seasons designed to save face may be the new normal.

Other salmon news:

• Red Bluff News (Calif.): Project in Red Bluff aims at boosting salmon returning to spawning sites
• Maven’s Notebook: News release: Northern California fishermen and farmers collaborate to boost number of salmon spawning in the Sacramento River