Salmon fishing might be closed for commercial and sport fishermen along the California and Oregon coasts and for sport anglers in Sacramento Valley rivers and tributaries this year.

But Chinook salmon fishing on the Klamath River will be open as usual, with a larger than normal quota (22,500 fish) allocated for the 2008 season. The Klamath Tribal allocation is 27,000 fish. The decision was made by the Pacific Fishery Management Council during meetings last week in Seattle.

Two factors contributed to the quota, which still has to be approved by the California Department of Fish and Game. Biologists already were expecting a big return to the Klamath; and, severe offshore restrictions will lead to drastically increased ocean survival for the Klamath fall salmon.