There are few fisheries with more highs and lows than the California salmon.
For two years the ocean season was closed. Last year the returning runs to the valley spawning streams hit an all-time low. Just when the naysayers predict a total crash of the state's salmon populations, we have a year like this.
The Department of Fish and Game uses hatchery returns to gauge the size and significance of a year's salmon population. They count those fish that return to the hatchery where they were originally spawned. This year's returns are significantly better than those of 2009. Here are some results posted in the fall:
Coleman hatchery returns: 16,841 (2010); 5,433 (2009).
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Californian (Salinas, CA).