ACalifornia delicacy is back on the menuin restaurants after a three year hiatus thanks to a move by the region’s fishery council.
The Pacific Fishery Management Councilannouncedthat state waters will once again open to fishing the California King Salmon, after it was closed in 2022due to fear of a plummeting populationamid extended years of drought in the state.
The council cited the move due to “increased forecasts for both Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook compared to recent years.”
“Providing meaningful fishing opportunities, achieving conservation and management goals, and ensuring the long-term health of salmon populations and fishing communities are all key priorities for the Council,” Council Chair Pete Hassemer said in the press release.
“For 2026, the Council set fishing seasons designed to offer valuable opportunities for all users while carefully managing the resource for the future.”
The news was a welcome invite to fisherman and the industry that has been unable to reel in the local salmon, born in freshwater rivers, for years. However, it will be on a shortened fishing schedule and a limit will be imposed on just how much commercial and recreational fishers can catch.
The season will open on a limited basis starting in May, with many restaurants and grocery stores that offer the California coastal chinook celebrating the move. However, due to the limited catch window, it will likely mean high costs for the delicacy.
“We haven’t had a wild salmon season in so long you almost forgot we have our own king salmon in California,” Shelley Lindgren, wine director and co-owner of San Francisco’s A16 restaurant as well as member of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association board told theSan Francisco Chronicle.
“The minute we can get it, we will have it on the menu,” Lindgren said. “It’s really a joy to offer.”
“We love having the seafood coming from right out our back door… super exciting.”
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
