SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The 2025 commercial salmon fishing season in California will be closed for an unprecedented third year running, and sportfishing will be restricted to only a few days due to dwindling numbers of fish, fishing regulators voted Tuesday.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council, which manages West Coast fisheries, warned earlier this year there would be limited salmon fishing this year in California, if at all, because of a predicted low number of fall-run Chinook salmon, often known as king salmon, in the Sacramento River.
“This closed commercial and token recreational fishing season is a human tragedy, as well as an economic and environmental disaster,” Scott Artis, executive director of Golden State Salmon Association, said in a statement.
Salmon fishing is wildly popular in California but has been off limits for the past two years to commercial and recreational fishing due to dwindling stocks. People who commercially fish blame the issue on a years-earlier drought that walloped waterways, as well as state and federal water management policies they say have made it tough for the species to thrive.
Sacramento River fall-run Chinook, historically the largest contributor to the ocean salmon harvest off California and Oregon, have experienced dramatic declines over the last five years, according to the association. The Pacific Fishery Management Council has also voted to highly curtail the commercial salmon fishing season in Oregon this year, the association said.
Salmon must swim upstream to lay their eggs, and young fish then make their way out to the ocean through waterways that wind through the state. That's done more easily when cool water flows are abundant. Agricultural water diversions described as excessive by anglers led to warm river temperatures and low flows when baby salmon were trying to make it from their spawning beds to the ocean.
The closure comes a few months after President Donald Trump ordered officials to find ways to put “people over fish” and route more water to farmers in California’s fertile Central Valley and residents of its densely populated cities.
The ongoing battle over where to route the water and how much tends to pit California environmental groups and anglers against the state’s farm industry, which produces much of the country’s fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables.
Trump contends too much water is being used to protect the tiny delta smelt, a federally threatened species seen as an indicator of the health of the Sacramento- San Joaquin River Delta, but salmon rely on the same water for their survival.
California’s salmon fishing industry includes commercial fleets and charters that take anglers out for recreation. Commercial fleets have been especially hard hit by the closures. Earlier this year, there were fewer than 900 permits for commercial salmon fishing in the state compared to 1,200 in 2010, according to Dock Street Brokers.
Recreational fishing charters have also been hit by the closures and have been devoting their boats to activities ranging from party tours to ash scatterings to stay afloat.
Both have also been fishing for other species but say anglers and markets aren't as interested in halibut or cod as they would be in salmon.
FILE - Chinook salmons are seen after being unloaded at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, Monday, July 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
JAIPUR, India (AP) — Rajasthan Royals teenage star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s hit an entertaining knock of 93 runs with 10 sixes against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday to keep his team in contention for the final Indian Premier League playoff spot.
The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi also smashed seven fours in his boundary-loaded 38-ball innings as Rajasthan cruised to 225-3 in 19.1 overs for seven-wicket win.
Mitchell Marsh (96) had earlier missed out on a hundred but the Australian opener’s century first-wicket stand with his countryman Josh Inglis (60) had carried Lucknow to 220-5 after Rajasthan’s stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal won the toss and elected to field.
Rajasthan overtook Punjab Kings at No. 4 on the points table behind three teams that have already qualified for the playoffs: Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“I always knew I could hit anytime and didn’t want to rush at all,” Sooryavanshi said. “I don’t read papers and all, I just think this is the start and if I have a long career, then a lot of things will be said. I just want to focus on my game.”
Rajasthan could seal the final playoff spot if they beat Mumbai Indians in their last league game.
“Everyone put the hard yards and worked really well,” Jaiswal said after leading his side to victory in the absence of injured regular captain Riyan Parag. “The way Vaibhav batted, (he) absolutely killed the game … we knew it was going to be a big score on this pitch."
Unlike his aggressive style of batting from the onset, Sooryavanshi took his time before charging against the pace. He scored only five runs off the first 10 balls he faced, but the youngster showed extravagant power-hitting to score 88 off the next 28 balls.
Fast bowler Akash Singh (1-54) conceded four boundaries against Jaiswal (43) in his 23-run first over as Sooryavanshi took the back seat and let the stand-in captain score bulk of the runs in the power play.
Singh dismissed Jaiswal in his second over, but then Sooryavanshi upped the ante by smashing two sixes and three fours in Singh's ninth over of the innings.
Sooryavanshi raised the tally of his sixes to 53 this season and needs seven more big hits to break Chris Gayle’s 14-year-old IPL record of 59 sixes. Sooryavanshi could have been run-out in the 90s when Mohsin Khan couldn't hit the stumps at the non-striker's end from close range before the fast bowler had the youngster caught at long-on in the 14th over.
Dhruv Jurel made sure Rajasthan scored at a rapid pace and remained unbeaten on 53 off 38 balls, achieving the target with five balls to spare.
Earlier, Marsh and Inglis racked up 83-0 in the power play as Rajasthan with the likes of Jofra Archer in their ranks went wicketless for the fourth successive game in the first six overs.
Wrist-spinner Yash Raj Punja stifled Lucknow in the middle overs with 2-35 as he broke the 109-run opening stand in the ninth over when he clean bowled Inglis and then also removed dangerous Nicholas Pooran for 16.
Marsh, who raised his half-century off 25 balls, scored a further 43 off the next 32 balls before Archer’s last over saw Lucknow losing three wickets for only five runs. Marsh and captain Rishabh Pant (35) got run-out before Archer hit the base of Ayush Badoni’s stumps of the final ball.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Lucknow Super Giants' Josh Inglis bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, India, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
Lucknow Super Giants' Mitchell Marsh plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, India, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi celebrates his fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, India, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reacts as he leaves the ground after losing his wicket during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, India, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, India, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
