Fishermen in line for third year of disaster relief

<p>North Coast fishermen will be eligible to receive federal disaster relief aid for the third consecutive year.</p><p>U.S. Commerce Commerce Secretary Gary Lock declared California's fishery a disaster on Sept. 2, extending the disaster declaration made in 2008.</p><p>The announcement came after a paltry catch for the state's commercial fishermen and signs of a much smaller run of spawning Chinook salmon returning to the Sacramento River than federal scientists had predicted. </p><p>It's now up to Congress to determine how much to appropriate to California fishermen.</p><p>“The catches have been horrible,” said Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. “The immediate job right now is to try to keep these family businesses going until we do see fish populations coming back.”</p><p>The state's fisheries were opened this year to commercial and sport fishing for the first time in two years.</p><p>Federal scientists predicted a larger salmon run, but catches were small.</p><p>Commercial fishermen brought in about $3 million, which is 81 percent less than average earnings for the 2003 to 2005 seasons, before the state's major decline in salmon runs, according to federal estimates.</p><p>Eureka fisherman Dave Bitts said he and others caught enough fish to make it worth going out on the water, but not enough to make a living.</p><p>“If you're a serious salmon fisherman you depend on it for half your income,” Bitts said. “It fell short for all but a handful of successful guys, and I wasn't one of those.”</p><p>Some fishermen questioned the decision by Pacific Fishery Management Council officials, who regulate fishing seasons, to open the door for commercial and sport fishing this year.</p><p>“There were some in government that thought they would do everyone a favor, open the season and we'll be heroes,” Grader said. “I don't think it was good resource management.”</p><p>Official estimates for the season's spawning adult salmon population won't be available until early next year, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration staff said.</p>