A federal regulatory group voted Thursday to officially close king salmon fishing season along much of the West Coast after near-record low numbers of the fish, also known as chinook, returned to California’s rivers last year. The Pacific Fishery Management Council approved the closure of the 2023 season for all commercial and most recreational chinook fishing along the coast from Cape Falcon in northern Oregon to the California-Mexico border. Limited recreational salmon fishing will be allowed off southern Oregon in the fall. … Biologists say the chinook salmon population has declined dramatically after years of drought. 

Related articles: 

• Washington Post: Years of drought force shutdown of salmon fishing season off California
• CalMatters: Opinion: Painful step – Shutdown of fishing season necessary to save California salmon (Written by DFW director Chuck Bonham.) 
• CalMatters: Opinion: California could have avoided salmon season shutdown. Did we learn nothing last time? (Written by commercial salmon fisher Sarah Bates.)
• Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom: Newsom Administration Requests Federal Fishery Disaster Ahead of Salmon Season Closure
• USA Today: California’s salmon are so depleted officials just canceled next year’s season