California Commercial Salmon Season Relaunches

HALF MOON BAY (KCBS) – After a three year wait, commercial salmon fishermen got their wish on Sunday as the fishing season opened for business.

Because of a low stock, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council halted the commercial salmon fishing season the last three years.

But the PFMC, a regulatory body that manages the Pacific fishing season, found that less restrictions were needed this year because Central Valley and Klamath River stocks rebounded in 2010.

KCBS' Bob Melrose Reports:

Jim Anderson was out at Pillar Point on Sunday and said that while it's great to have a fishing season, it's off to a slow start.

"We love the opportunity. We love the chance to go out and find some fish. We all would like to pay bills and it's wonderful to make some money," said Anderson. "But it would be nice to go out and find something. It's expensive to go out and drive around if you're not going to catch any fish."

The fishery was completely closed in 2008 and 2009 and there was an extremely limited season last year, with only eight days open in July.

The commercial salmon fishing season is expected to run through October 14 from San Francisco south to the Mexican border.

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