Drop In Salmon Population

KFSN The federal government says the falling number of Chinook salmon in California Rivers is pointing to "an unprecedented collapse" in the fish population.

The salmon return from the Pacific to spawn in the Sacramento and American rivers and its tributaries.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council reports the 2007 population dropped more than 88-percent from the fish's all-time high five years ago.

Only about 90-thousand returning adult salmon were counted compared to 277k in 2006 and 804k five years ago.

Regulators are still trying to understand why there are fewer fish.

Some believe global warming is a likely culprit.