Tuesday July 21, 2026
Inside Climate News —
When he stares out from the docks on the Feather River, James Stone—a 46-year-old lifelong fisherman—feels a pang of concern.
Fishing for chinook salmon, also called king salmon, had been called off completely for California’s commercial fishermen since 2023 and nearly as long for recreational anglers. While the fishery is open again this year, and the federal government recently announced emergency funding for those hit hardest by the closure, the consequences of multiple canceled fishing seasons continues to have ripple effects that are hard to fully account for.
“We’re losing marinas. We’re losing tackle stores. We’re losing bait shops. We’re also losing infrastructure out on the ocean at the ports for gas pumps … everything’s going away because salmon is the driver,” Stone, who is based in Yuba City and serves as the board president of the NorCal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association, told Inside Climate News.
Without plentiful chinook salmon to support local fisheries, “people won’t always spend the money for other species or for other recreational activities,” Stone said. “Salmon is what drives the fishing industry.”