Saving Seafood

Endangered salmon returned to California’s far north — then the money dried up

April 7, 2026 — Two years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a strategy to save declining salmon — spotlighting a historic partnership with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe to reintroduce endangered winter-run Chinook to the vital, cold waters upstream of Lake Shasta in far northern California.

Now, tribe officials say the state is ending its support, potentially causing salmon restoration efforts on the McCloud River to die mid-stream. The tribe is now grappling with the sudden loss of jobs, along with the dimming of hope that the culturally sacred fish will be restored to their ancestral waters.

“It makes me feel betrayed. It makes the tribe feel betrayed,” said Gary Mulcahy, government liaison for the tribe. “It’s like they just gave up.”

State officials say the one-time funds were tied to the state’s drought response and have now been used up.

“The pilot was designed to take urgent action during severe drought conditions while testing key tools and approaches needed for potential long-term reintroduction,” California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Stephen Gonzalez said in an email.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

Halibut quota hits record low as fishermen compete for shrinking catch

March 30, 2026 — Pacific halibut users – commercial, sport, subsistence and personal use – will compete for a total harvest of just 29.33 million pounds this year, the lowest yield determined by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) in its 102-year-old history.

The new total is 1.3 percent below the 2025 coast-wide quota.

It breaks out at 24.27 million pounds for the U.S. portion, the same as last year, which includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California. A catch total of 5.06 million pounds is allocated for British Columbia.

The 2026 Pacific halibut fishery will close Dec. 7.

Read the full article at The National Fisherman

50 Years of Environmental Data Can Predict Health and Strandings of Sea Lions Pups in California

March 30, 2025 — For more than 50 years, NOAA Fisheries has conducted vital research on seal and sea lion populations at a remote research station on San Miguel Island, California. The long-term data set provides clues to help us understand what environmental conditions lead to malnourished California sea lion pups and increased stranding levels. This information is important for managing their populations and helping rehabilitation centers prepare for periods when sea lion pup strandings may be elevated.

Our research began on San Miguel Island in 1969 after scientists discovered a colony of northern fur seals breeding on Point Bennett the year before. This amazing uninhabited island lies 26 miles offshore of the California coast. It’s part of the Channel Islands National Park and is home to some of the largest populations of land-breeding pinnipeds in the world. Prior to this discovery, northern fur seals were last documented in California during the early 1800s—before their population was wiped out by seal hunters. Researchers began studying the new colony of fur seals along with California sea lions that also breed on the island.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Halibut quota hits record low as fishermen compete for shrinking catch

March 26, 2026 — Pacific halibut users – commercial, sport, subsistence and personal use – will compete for a total harvest of just 29.33 million pounds this year, the lowest yield determined by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) in its 102-year-old history.

The new total is 1.3 percent below the 2025 coast-wide quota.

It breaks out at 24.27 million pounds for the U.S. portion, the same as last year, which includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California. A catch total of 5.06 million pounds is allocated for British Columbia.

The 2026 Pacific halibut fishery will close Dec. 7.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Upwelling saved the West Coast in 2025, NOAA reports

March 26, 2026 —  Despite a massive marine heatwave that gripped the eastern Pacific through much of 2025, the West Coast marine ecosystem held its own — thanks largely to strong wind-driven upwelling, according to NOAA Fisheries’ annual California Current Ecosystem Status Report.

“Warming continues to be an inescapable reality off the West Coast, but upwelling saved the day,” said Andrew Leising, a research oceanographer at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center. The cold, nutrient-rich water pushed to the surface helped keep the ecosystem productive and held heatwave warmth offshore.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Target sued over private-label tuna sustainability claims

March 24, 2026 — U.S. retailer Target is facing a class-action lawsuit over sustainability claims regarding its private-label Good & Gather tuna products.

According to the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the front label of Target’s Good & Gather canned and pouched tuna states that it is “sustainably caught” and includes the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) checkmark logo. Additionally, back-of-label statements include “sustainable seafood” and “wild caught using sustainable practices to help protect ocean resources for future generations to enjoy,” according to the complaint.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

CALIFORNIA: Calif. salmon season reopens, but commercial fleet faces uncertainty

March 23, 2026 — For the first time in four years, California’s salmon fishery is set to reopen this spring– offering a long-awaited opportunity for commercial fishermen who have weathered consecutive closures tied to historically low stock levels.

The commercial season, shuttered since 2023, is expected to open in mid-May, with final dates and regulations to be determined in April by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). While the reopening signals a rebound in salmon abundance, many in the commercial fleet say the path forward is far from certain.

According to the Calif. Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), salmon populations have more than doubled compared to last year, enough to support both recreational and commercial fisheries in 2026. “Salmon stocks have recovered to the point that sport and commercial ocean fisheries can be offered this year,” said CDFW’s Marci Yaremko to Lookout Santa Cruz.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

CALIFORNIA: After years of closure, California salmon fishing set to reopen this spring — with tight limits

March 18, 2026 — For the first time in four years, salmon fishing seasons will open in California for both commercial and recreational use this spring.

That could be great news for local anglers and for professional fishers in Santa Cruz County, many of whom previously relied on the lucrative season for a significant portion of their annual income. But that doesn’t mean California salmon will come flooding back to markets, one local fish distributor said.

The sport fishing season will open first, on April 11 in ocean waters south of Pigeon Point, about 30 miles north of Santa Cruz. The commercial season, which has been closed in the state since 2023 due to low stock numbers, is set to open in California in mid-May, with a final date and regulations to be set in mid-April. The recreational fishery had only limited openings in 2025 following closures in 2023 and 2024 for the same reason.

Over the past year, salmon populations in the area have rebounded, with population sizes more than double last year’s estimates, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a media release on Friday.

Read the full article at Lookout Santa Cruz

CALIFORNIA: California Dungeness crab fishery opens to use of pop-up gear

March 17, 2026 — Use of conventional traps for commercial harvesting of Dungeness crab must cease in southern California on March 27, but fishermen may continue operating through the rest of the season using pop-up gear.

The March 13 announcement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for fishing zones 4 and 5 was the department’s first ever on the use of the recently approved pop-up gear, with buoys and lines remaining coiled on the seafloor. The announcement covers all fishing grounds south of Pigeon Point, including Monterey Bay and Morro Bay.

When commercial fishermen are ready to retrieve their gear, a remote signal triggers the release of the buoy, which carries the line to the surface, allowing commercial crabbers to locate the trap for quick removal.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

CALIFORNIA: Regulators set to reopen California’s commercial salmon fishery for the first time in three years

March 16, 2026 — Commercial salmon trawlers may be allowed to harvest fish in California for the first time in more than three years, although opportunities will remain limited as regulators work to enable stock recovery on the West Coast.

“Increased forecasts this year, particularly of Klamath and Sacramento River fall Chinook, created opportunities to expand fishing options compared with recent years,” PFMC Executive Director Merrick Burden said in the release. “The Council’s proposals aim to provide meaningful fishing opportunities while ensuring careful management of salmon populations.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource