Salmon Fishing to be Halted Along West Coast

Scientists have discovered a troubling development in the Sacramento River watershed in northern California. The Chinook salmon that originate and later return to spawn in this river basin during the autumn season have all but disappeared. As a result, it is all but certain that salmon fishing will be halted along the Pacific coast from northern Oregon along California to Mexico for four months starting 1 May. What has caused the precipitous decline in the salmon numbers is still unclear, but the mostly likely reason may have to do with altered conditions in the Pacific Ocean that change currents and oceanic movements that usually provide the salmon with their food sources, krill and phytoplankton. The likely overriding reason of this phenomena very well may be global warming, but that connection cannot be firmly made yet. Nevertheless, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council that oversees this and other fisheries will make a decision that will have a large economic impact on local area fishermen, communities, consumers, and on the price and availability of this valuable nutritious food source for many months ahead.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/science/earth/17salmon.html?em&ex=1205899200&en=45c4eee6ac268a9c&ei=5087%0A

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