GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- Federal fisheries managers today took the initial step toward imposing what could be the strictest limits ever on West Coast salmon fishing amid a sharp drop in fish returning to California's Sacramento Valley.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously adopted three options for sport and commercial fishing off the Pacific Coast, including a complete shutdown of fishing off California and Oregon.

The closest the council has come to halting all salmon fishing was in 2006 when a decline in Northern California's Klamath River run forced severe catch limits.

The other options include severely limiting fishing or allowing fishermen to catch and release salmon for scientific projects. Both of those options would require the federal government to grant an emergency rule.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Eric Schindler says fisheries managers meeting in Sacramento, Calif., did not want to risk catching so many fish in March and April that they would have to cut any chance of fishing in May.

The early March and April commercial fishing season for chinook off Oregon has already been canceled.

Returns of chinook and coho salmon coastwide -- and particularly to California's Sacramento River Basin -- dropped sharply last year, the third straight year of declines. And many Oregon and California fishermen are anticipating little if any salmon to catch this summer.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council will select a final option at their next meeting in Seattle, Washington in April.

“The status of Sacramento fall Chinook has suddenly collapsed to an unprecedented low level,” Chairman Donald Hansen said. “The effect on California and Oregon salmon fisheries is a disaster by any definition.”

Officials said the reason for the collapse of the Sacramento fall Chinook stock was not readily apparent. 

“Ocean Conditions have been poor, and there are a lot of things that can go wrong for salmon in freshwater,“ Vice-Chairman David Artmann  said.