No, the sky is not falling but tough decisions need to be made for the 2016 season for some salmon fisheries.
Last year, only 30% of the expected number of coho salmon returned to the Columbia River last year according to a news release from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). Poor ocean conditions were being blamed. While the forecast for this year is for more to return, it would still only be half of last year’s forecast.
WDFW Director of Jim Unsworth said he hopes fishery managers can provide some ocean salmon fishing opportunities this year, but must place a higher priority on protecting the diminished number of wild coho expected to return this year.
“Fishery managers face many difficult decisions in the weeks ahead as we move toward solidifying salmon-fishing seasons for the state,” Unsworth said. “We know that severely limiting opportunities will hurt many families and communities that depend on these fisheries. But conserving wild salmon is our top priority and is in the best interest of future generations of Washingtonians.”
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Click for more informationThe non-treaty recreational fishing alternatives include the following quotas for fisheries off the Washington coast:
- Alternative 1: 58,600 chinook and 37,800 coho. This option includes early season fisheries, from June 18-30, for hatchery chinook in Washington’s ocean waters (marine areas 1-4). This option also allows hatchery coho retention in all four marine areas during the traditional summer fishery.
- Alternative 2: 30,000 chinook and 14,700 coho. This option does not include early season fisheries for hatchery chinook, but provides summer chinook fisheries in all four marine areas. Hatchery coho fishing would be allowed only in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco).
- Alternative 3: No commercial or recreational salmon fisheries in Washington’s ocean waters.
A public hearing on the three alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries is scheduled for March 28 in Westport.
In addition to the March 28 public hearing, several other meetings will take place later this month and in early April to discuss regional fisheries issues. The public can provide comments online regarding the proposed alternatives as well as on other proposed salmon fisheries through WDFW’s North of Falcon webpage.