USA: Salmon fishing banned along California coast as population plummets

Fishing boats would normally fan out along the California coast to catch Chinook salmon in the spring, but regulators have announced the fishing season will be shut down this year. It's only the second time in history that the ocean salmon fishery has been closed in California, and the decision reflects a major decline in fish populations after the state's driest three-year period on record. People who depend on salmon fishing said the closure will bring economic hardships for many in the industry. "This whole situation is really depressing," said Sarah Bates, who fishes with a commercial boat and usually sells her catch through a community fishing association in San Francisco. "I think we're going to lose some boats from both our commercial and recreational fleets," Bates said. "The public of California is going to have to get used to not having salmon on their barbecue, unless they want it from very far away." ...