Chinook Salmon Disappearing from West Coast

Photo: Sandra vom Stein / Istock

related articles

If you were looking forward to enjoying wild salmon when the season opens May 1, chances are you won't see much of it. Due to an unprecedented collapse of the Chinook salmon population on the west coast, fisheries from northern Oregon to the Mexican border will most likely remain closed this year, according to a New York Times article. Fish fans will have to wait until the Alaskan season starts in July, and those wild Chinook are likely to be pricey nationwide.

Experts have been trying to come up with an explanation for what happened to the salmon population. Some fishermen think that the Sacramento River was mismanaged in 2005 and too much water was drained or water was drained at the wrong times, according to the article. Oceanic changes could be a factor, as could predator fish that may have been successful due to a diversion dam. Pipes attached to pumping stations that divert water line the river and could be a factor.

COMMENTS ()