AP PHOTOS: Boat tours and ash scatterings help beleaguered California salmon fleet stay afloat

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The Riptide boat, captained by William Smith, leaves the harbor for a whale watching tour Monday, March 10, 2025, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Captain William Smith, right, waits for a party of 20 people to arrive completely for a whale watching tour Monday, March 10, 2025, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Karina Simpson looks at cargo ships during a history tour aboard the Pacific Pearl on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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Captain William Smith steers his boat Monday, March 10, 2025, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Captain William Smith, left, helps bring onboard his boat party supplies before a whale watching tour Monday, March 10, 2025, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Captain William Smith, with raised hand, talks to people on his boat before departing for a whale watching tour Monday, March 10, 2025, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Captain Andy Guiliano, owner of the Pacific Pearl fishing and charter vessel, stands on a dock on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Emeryville, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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Passengers take in scenery during a history tour aboard the Pacific Pearl on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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The Bass-Tub sportfishing vessel leaves San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf on Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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Captain Michael Rescino prepares for a bass and halibut fishing expedition aboard his boat Lovely Martha at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf on Saturday, March 15, 2025. He is the fourth generation in his family to run the boat. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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Michael “Junior” Rescino stows a fishing rod as his dad Captain Michael Rescino watches aboard Lovely Martha at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf on Saturday, March 15, 2025. Junior is the fifth generation in his family to work on the vessel. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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Liam O’Donoghue narrates a history tour for passengers aboard the Pacific Pearl on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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Captain J.J. Holloway helms the Pacific Pearl during a history tour on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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Passenger John Coveney looks out as the Pacific Pearl cuts through waves during a history tour on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

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Captain William Smith, left, and second captain Lee Gualtieri are photographed Monday, March 10, 2025, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

By GODOFREDO A. VASQUEZ and NOAH BERGER

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — Editor’s note: This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

With salmon fishing barred off the California coast for two years, fishermen have been running historic boat tours, party cruises and scattering the ashes of the deceased to try to stay afloat. Now, sport and commercial fishing fleets are gearing up for what could be a third consecutive year of salmon closures in the Golden State because of dwindling stocks.

The closures have taken a toll on people’s livelihoods in coastal communities. That has prompted many fisherman to look for other ways of making money. Charter operators have branched out to host boat tours and party cruises. One fisherman has side businesses scattering people’s ashes and hosting whale-watching tours.