Fishery Scientists Share Salmon Abundance, Spawning Numbers at Virtual Information Meeting

Chinook salmon
photo by K. Morgenstern

At the virtual Salmon Information Meeting today, fishery scientists presented updates on the numbers of spawning salmon that returned to California’s rivers in 2021 and shared the expected abundance for the upcoming fishing season.

The 2022 ocean abundance projection for Sacramento River fall Chinook, a main salmon stock harvested in California waters, is estimated at 396,500 adult salmon, higher than the 2021 forecast. The Klamath River fall Chinook abundance forecast also came in slightly above the 2021 forecast, with 200,100 adult Klamath River fall Chinook salmon predicted to be in the ocean this year, a value that remains well below the stock’s historical levels.

Want to Fish for Free? Come On Down to Your Local Public Pier!

Fishing at Ocean Beach Pier, San Diego

Where can you go to catch some tasty California ocean fish if you don’t have a recreational fishing license? Try one of the many free fishing piers, jetties, or breakwaters along the coast, where you can wet your line for fish such as perch, greenling, rockfish, and bass. A list of free fishing piers and a zoomable map of pier locations is now available on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website to help you plan your pier fishing adventure.

Creature Feature: Pacific Razor Clam

In California, the Pacific razor clam may be found from the California-Oregon border southward to Pismo Beach, but they are most abundant in Del Norte and Humboldt counties.

Southern California Fisheries Closure Implemented Due to Oil Spill

Crude oil is shown in the Pacific Ocean offshore of Orange County, Oct. 3, 2021. A unified command has been established to respond to and clean up the oil spill off the California coast. Official U.S. Coast Guard photo

Notification from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

Take of all fish and shellfish is immediately prohibited from Huntington Beach to Dana Point, including the shorelines and offshore areas and all bays due to an oil spill in Southern California.

California’s Ocean Habitats: The Rocky Intertidal Zone

Flattop crab in a Montara State Marine Reserve tidepool. photo © Alison Young CC BY-NC 2.0

Purple sea urchins and a host of intertidal creatures at Point Lobos State Marine Reserve. photo © amyyy4004 CC BY-NC 2.0

Moonglow anemone in a Montara State Marine Reserve tidepool. photo © Alison Young CC BY-NC 2.0

Intertidal zone at Point Lobos State Marine Reserve. photo © ampersandroo CC BY-NC 2.0

Imagine a mystical world revealed when the gravitational forces from glowing celestial orbs peel back watery waves, uncovering pools teeming with life. Jewel-toned, flower-like animals gently sway in the currents, waiting for their next meal to float by.