Newsom requests federal disaster funds as chinook salmon season faces likely closure

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Thursday he was requesting a federal fishery disaster declaration, after regional supervisors recommended a full closure of ocean salmon season for the second year in a row.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council — which oversees fishing along the Washington, Oregon and California coasts — voiced unanimous support on Wednesday for shuttering California’s commercial and recreational chinook salmon fisheries through the end of the year.

These recommendations are similar to those made in 2023, which was the first time such a closure occurred in 14 years. 

“The forecasts for chinook returning to California rivers this year are again very low,” council Chair Brad Pettinger said in a Wednesday statement.

“Despite improved drought conditions, the freshwater environment that contributed to these low forecasted returns may still be impacting the overall returns of chinook,” Pettinger added.

Newsom’s request on Thursday would serve to provide financial assistance to impacted communities — serving to both protect salmon populations and support the local fishing industry, the governor’s office noted.

“Decades of climate extremes have severely impacted our salmon populations, and we’re taking action to address this crisis for the long-term,” Newsom said in a statement.

“We’ll continue working with the Biden Administration and Congress to ensure California’s fisheries and impacted communities are supported during this critical time,” the governor added.

The request, directed to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, notes that “the expected closure of 2024 California salmon fisheries will result in loss of 100 percent of the direct revenue generated by these fisheries.”

Stressing that California appreciates a similar funding request that was approved in 2023, the letter — sent by Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis (D) on Newsom’s behalf — projected losses this year of more than $47 million.

“This request is a critical tool to support impacted Californians, and we look forward to getting families the help they need,” Kounalakis said in a statement.

Charlton Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, stressed that despite the back-to-back rainy winters that the state has enjoyed, the fish “that will benefit from these conditions aren’t expected to return to California until around 2026 or 2027.”

“The current salmon for this year’s season were impacted by the difficult environmental factors present three to five years ago,” Bonham added.