SAN FRANCISCO — The governors of California, Oregon and Washington pledged to help financially strapped fishermen and fishing communities yesterday after federal regulators imposed the most severe restrictions ever on West Coast salmon fishing.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council voted Thursday to ban commercial and recreational fishing of chinook salmon off the California coast and most of Oregon this year to reverse an unprecedented decline in the Sacramento River, traditionally one of the West Coast's most productive wild salmon runs.

The council also recommended that sport and commercial fishing be sharply curtailed off the Washington coast to protect depressed salmon stocks there.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is expected to approve the council's recommendations by May 1, the start of the commercial season.

"It's going to be extremely tough because for a lot of fishermen salmon is at least 50 percent of their income," said Zeke Grader, who heads the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. "We need to figure out how to cushion this so people can stay afloat."

There should be plenty of farm-raised salmon and wild sockeye from Alaska on the market, but it will be hard to find chinook, also known as king salmon, which is prized by anglers and upscale restaurants.

After the council's vote, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in California. The proclamation directs state agencies to offer grants and loans to fishermen and affected businesses, and refund up to $2.7 million in fees paid for fishing permits.

He also sent a letter to President Bush seeking federal disaster assistance, saying the state is projected to lose more than 2,200 jobs and about $255 million from the fishery closure.

"The salmon situation is very unfortunate," Schwarzenegger said at a news conference yesterday in San Francisco. "This is a big hit to our economy."

Yesterday, the governor signed legislation to spend $5.3 million to help restore habitat for coastal salmon and steelhead.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski yesterday set aside $500,000 in strategic reserve funds and declared a state of emergency, which his administration said would free up money for job retraining, unemployment benefits and reemployment opportunities for affected communities.

"This will be devastating to the communities and families on the coast that rely on salmon fishing for their livelihood," he said. "Our job now is to help these communities make ends meet during this difficult time and to fight for federal assistance to help them for the longer term."

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire did not declare a state of emergency or offer immediate financial aid to fishing communities yesterday, but said those options were on the table. She praised regulators for taking the drastic steps needed to help restore West Coast salmon runs.

Oregon officials have been working with fishing communities to offer job training and employment advice, but Gregoire said states only can provide limited assistance, and what's really needed is help from Congress and the Bush administration.

Last month, Schwarzenegger, Kulongoski and Gregoire sent letters to U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez asking him to declare a federal fisheries disaster, which would open the door to federal aid for the industry. Forty-six federal lawmakers from California, Oregon and Washington have made a similar request.