L.A. Times On California Salmon Fishing Industry Woes

As California faces another closed or at best heavily restricted salmon fishing season, the Los Angeles Times – which during the NCAA Tournament for women’s basketball made the news cycle for all the wrong reasons – profiled California’s struggling and frustrated salmon fishing industry. Here’s a sample of the story, which includes one Northern California captain who has made do by hosting whale watching excursions, and sadly, scatting deceased peoples’ ashes at seas.

The shutdown of the salmon season last year has taken a major toll not only on the commercial fishing fleet but also on operators of charter fishing boats.

William Smith, who goes by Captain Smitty, said he lost about three-fourths of his charter business because he couldn’t take passengers salmon fishing, and also saw losses because of restrictions on the rockfish season. …

“Financially, this really has just been a disaster,” said Smith, 70. “All of us are struggling to make our minimum payments.”