PORTLAND (AP) — As the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council considers a complete shutdown of salmon fishing off the Pacific Coast, Oregon officials say river fishing will be allowed this year — but tighter limits are likely.

Steve Williams, assistant fish division administrator at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said limits on seasons and catches will be more restrictive than Oregon’s salmon fishermen are used to.

“There’s going to be fishing, but it’s not going to be business as usual,” Williams said.

State officials plan to start holding community meetings next month to figure out how to maintain fishing opportunities while minimizing pressure on the paltry numbers of salmon expected to return.

Bob Rees, president of the Northwest Guides and Anglers Association, said anglers and guides appear to be in favor of a reduction in bag limits this year from two fish to one.

“We can see that we definitely have to take a precautionary approach,” he said.

Experts are uncertain about what caused the collapse, pointing to dozens of factors. Some marine scientists say the salmon declines can be attributed in part to unusual weather patterns that have disrupted the marine food chain along the Pacific Coast in recent years.

Keith Braun, a state fish biologist in Tillamook, said it’s not unusual to have a weak year, but it’s rare to have a few in a row.

Salmon runs appear to be in poor shape up and down the coast but worse in the south, Williams said. The southern fish spend much of their lives in parts of the ocean that may have been more exposed to the poor ocean conditions.

“This situation seems to be very bad in the south and a little bit better to the north,” he said. “None of it is good by any means.”