In a state where eight of the last 10 years had drought conditions, finding fair and ample distribution for water between farms and fish is a tricky political needle to thread. Fortunately , Scott Artis and the team at Golden State Salmon Association have laid out a six-part plan for the California state legislature to meet the season-closure crisis.

This week the GSSA heads to Sacramento to share that reality for the Day of Action for California Water Justice & Salmon. 

Wild, fresh King salmon is only available in California on certain weeks during the summer months (pending regulatory changes and potential closures). Find out when, where, and how to access fresh, local wild-caught King salmon.

In its most basic sense, trolling is the method of drawing lines with baited hooks or lures behind a boat for fish to bite. While this sounds simple, it’s far from it. All commercially harvested king salmon in California are caught by trollers, as are most albacore tuna.

The California spot prawn is a beautiful species of shrimp found in deep waters along our coast, with a vibrant red body covered in white stripes and spots. The spot prawn fishery began in our local waters in the early 1930s, and starts in Monterey on August 1st of each year.

This month, we’re launching #MontereyBaySeafood - a campaign to help people find local, sustainable seafood. Over the next several months, we’ll be sharing resources, stories and recipes that make it easier for consumers to support fishing families.

Yes, there’s a silver lining out there. The commercial King salmon season starts this Friday, May 1st. Rainfall has been filling the rivers in the Central Valley where young salmon are born, and anchovies, a favorite food for salmon, are plentiful in the Monterey Bay.

In California, the return of King salmon is a cause for celebration. They are a sport fisherman’s dream catch, and used to be a solid payday for commercial fishermen. However, California salmon have been in crisis due to droughts and water wars waged over their river habitat. Fortunately, there are groups working in the Monterey region to help salmon populations recover.