Salmon Fishery Regulations

NOAA Fisheries Service establishes fishery management measures for the ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon and California. Specific fishery management measures vary by fishery and by area. The measures establish fishing areas, seasons, quotas, legal gear, recreational fishing days and catch limits, possession and landing restrictions, and minimum lengths for salmon taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ, 3–200 nautical miles) off Washington, Oregon and California. The management measures are intended to prevent over-fishing and to apportion the ocean harvest equitably among treaty Indian, non-treaty commercial, and recreational fisheries. The measures are also intended to allow a portion of the salmon runs to escape the ocean fisheries to provide for spawning escapement and to provide for inside fisheries (fisheries occurring in state internal waters).

Fraser Panel, Ocean Salmon & Halibut Fishing Information Hotline: 800-662-9825

NOAA news release announcing extension of 2008 disaster declaration into 2009

2009 Salmon Management Measures (PDF 95KB)

2008 Salmon Fishery Failure

2008 Salmon Management Measures (PDF 95KB)
        Inseason Actions 1 & 2 (PDF 55KB)
        Inseason Actions 3 & 4 (PDF 51KB)
        Inseason Actions 5 & 6 (PDF 50KB)
          Inseason Actions 7-12 (PDF 48KB)

2007 Salmon Management Measures (PDF 98KB)
        Inseason Actions 1 & 2 (PDF 50KB)
          Inseason Actions 3 & 4 (PDF 53KB)
        Inseason Actions 5, 6 & 7 (PDF 52KB)
        Inseason Actions 8 & 9 (PDF 52KB)
        Inseason Actions 10 & 11 (PDF 48KB)

Jan. 1, 2007: NOAA Fisheries Service implemented the Salmon Troll Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area. This is an area off the northern Washington coast intended to protect yelloweye rockfish. The Salmon Troll YRCA is closed to fishing with salmon troll gear.

Aug. 10, 2006: Commerce Department declares commercial salmon fishery failure for coastal Oregon and California
Department of Commerce news release
Disaster declaration (PDF 88KB)

Apr. 28, 2006: News Release (PDF 35KB)
2006 Salmon Management Measures (PDF 107KB)
        Inseason Action 1 (PDF 52KB)
        Inseason Action 3 (PDF 55KB)
        Inseason Action 4 (PDF 61KB)
        Inseason Actions 5 & 6 (PDF 58KB)
        Inseason Action 7 (PDF 56KB)
        Inseason Action 8 (PDF 52KB)
        Inseason Action 9 (PDF 57KB)