California Salmon Season Opens May 1.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- May 1 marks the opening day of the California commercial salmon fishing season, which continues through October 13.

"California is a leading producer of troll-caught (hook-and-line) wild king salmon along the Pacific Coast," says Jim Anderson, Chairman of the California Salmon Council. Commercial salmon fishermen caught 4.3 million pounds of wild California King Salmon(R) last year, a 45 percent decrease from the 2004 catch of 6.2 million pounds. Anderson explains that last season was shortened due to efforts to protect weaker Klamath salmon stocks, a situation that will be repeated this year.

The Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC), a regulatory body that manages the Pacific fishing season, further reduced the 2006 salmon season due to water management problems on the Klamath River. Over the last several years, poor water conditions along the Klamath reduced the ability of spawning salmon and juvenile fish to survive in numbers sufficient to maintain a normal fishing season. The good news is that salmon produced from the American and Sacramento River System are enjoying the most abundant years due to enhanced fishery management practices. Because fish from all river systems commingle in the ocean, it is not possible to selectively harvest one fish from another. The PFMC sets the season to protect the weakest stock. The Klamath situation is not a result of over-fishing, but poor management of Klamath water resources. As water was diverted for land irrigation in past years, less was made available to salmon when they needed it to spawn and again, when juvenal fish returned to the ocean.

This year's salmon season has been structured in such a way to protect Klamath River salmon, due to problems that began with 2002 warm and low water releases for spawning salmon and downstream migration of juvenal fish. California fishermen abide by regulations designed to ensure there will be a sustainable supply of these fish now, and in the future. This year's rainy season should increase water flows and improve conditions on the Klamath. However, the fishing fleet will have to wait until the Klamath situation is corrected, which will take several years before harvest levels are increased. Fortunately, the commercial salmon industry does not target Klamath fish, but rather, Sacramento River salmon, which are in bountiful supplies. The majority of California wild Chinook salmon are native to the Sacramento Valley River System. The California Department of Fish and Game is predicting the largest return of Sacramento River salmon in decades. This is great news for fishermen and California seafood consumers who anticipate the start of the new fishing season.

Anderson wants consumers to know that not all salmon are alike. "Salmon species vary on where they're caught, and whether they're from the ocean or farm-raised," he says. "California salmon, or Chinooks, are called 'kings' because they are regarded as the most prized, as well as the largest, of the five species of Pacific salmon." The other four salmon species are Chum, Coho, Pink and Sockeye.

Anderson adds, "Consumers should ask for California King Salmon, which is fresher, because they are caught locally off California's coastline. King salmon have a higher oil content that adds to their natural robust flavor and deep coloring, a favorite among professional chefs."

Retail prices should average a little higher than last year, due to the reduced season structure. In addition to moving the fleet further south along the coast, commercial fishermen will be restricted to catch no more than 75 fish per week, as a means to protect the Klamath stocks.

Nutrition studies have found that eating fish, such as salmon, once a week, reduces the risk of cardiac arrest, as well as increases cognitive function and reduces depression. Ocean-caught California King salmon have higher levels of the naturally-occurring Omega-3 fatty acids that offer the heart protective attributes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently acknowledged that wild California King salmon have 29.4% more omega-3 fatty acids than previously reported.

Visit the California Salmon Council website at www.calkingsalmon.org for more information and recipes for California King salmon.

The California Salmon Council offers a recipe brochure that provides information on how to fillet, store, and cook a whole salmon. For a free copy of "Whole California King Salmon, It's the Catch of the Day," send a self-addressed stamped business-size envelope to California Salmon Council, P.O. Box 2255, Folsom, CA 95763-2255.

Note: Fishermen are available for media interviews by calling David Goldenberg at the California Salmon Council at [phone] or mobile [phone].