Federal council adopts options for ocean salmon sport fisheries

Source: https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/mar1213a/

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Phil Anderson the WDFW Director have came up with 3 options to help prepare for a forecast of a lower abundance of Columbia River Chinook and a higher abundance of Columbia River Coho. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will be approving one of these options sometime in April, the options will set up parameters for the state and tribal fishery managers for this years fishing seasons.

Option 1 — 51,500 chinook and 75,600 coho.

Option 1 would have a strict daily limit of two salmon in all areas, and would have to release all coho and wild chinook. Some marine areas would be able to fish for two salmon but can only keep one chinook. Fisheries would close earlier than the set end date if a coastline quota of 8,000 hatchery chinooks was met.

Option 2 — 41,500 chinook and 71,400 coho

Option 2 would also have a strict daily limit of two salmon in all areas, and would have to release all coho and wild chinook. Anglers who fished all four marine areas would be able to retain one chinook of the two salmon daily limit, and those fishing in two specific marine areas would be allowed to retain an additional two salmon.

Option 3 — 30,000 chinook and 63,000 coho.

Anglers who fished in all four marine areas would be allowed one chinook as part of the two salmon daily limit. In two specific marine areas anglers would also be allowed an additional two pink salmon.

Each option would have designated days of fishing and a specific set of dates for a season that will vary differently for each option, all the options have a different set of dates for the fishing season. The PFMW has multiple scheduled meetings to discuss the options, future forecasts and fisherie issues.