Washington Pacific Halibut Season 2016

The 2016 Washington Pacific halibut season includes several changes, although the state’s 2016 halibut catch quota is the same as last year's.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) establishes halibut seasons using catch quotas adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) for coastal fisheries from California to Alaska.

This year’s quota for recreational halibut fisheries in Washington state is 214,110 pounds.

As in years past, the growing popularity of recreational halibut fishing will require adjustments in this year’s season, said Heather Reed, WDFW coastal policy coordinator.

One result, according to Reed, is that the halibut catch in Puget Sound has exceeded the area harvest quota for the past four years.

In response, this year’s halibut season in Marine Areas 6-10 in central Puget Sound will be reduced to eight days from 11 days last year.

That fishery will run concurrently with the one in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu), where the season has been limited to eight days since 2013, Reed said.

The other major change this year is in Marine Areas 3 and 4 (La Push and Neah Bay), which will open May 7, May 12 and May 14, then close for a catch assessment.

“Last year, we scheduled four days of fishing before the catch assessment, but we had to cancel the fourth day on short notice, because the quota was taken sooner than ever before,” Reed said. “This year’s season is designed to avoid that situation.”

This year’s fishery in Marine Areas 3 and 4 will reopen in late May if sufficient capacity remains under the quota.

In Marine Area 1 off the mouth of the Columbia River, anglers also reached last year’s quota earlier than expected, although not until early June. That fishery is scheduled to run four days a week this year from May 1 until the quota is taken, or Sept. 30, whichever occurs first.

Anglers fishing the nearshore area of that fishery will again be allowed to retain bottomfish such as flounder and sole as well as halibut on days when the rest of the area is closed to halibut fishing.

In all marine areas open to halibut fishing, there is a one-fish daily catch limit and no minimum size restriction. Anglers may possess a maximum of two fish in any form and must record their catch on a WDFW catch record card.

Anglers should check the WDFW website for complete information on recreational halibut regulations and seasons at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/creel/halibut/

2016 Puget Sound Halibut Seasons

Marine Area 5-10: May 7, 12, 13, 14, and May 26-29. The quota is 57,393 pounds for the season.

Marine Areas 11, 12, 13: These areas will remain closed to halibut fishing to protect threatened and endangered rockfish species.

2016 Pacific Coast Halibut Seasons

Marine Area 1 (Columbia River): The fishery opens May 1 and runs four days per week (Thursday-Sunday) until the subarea quota is taken, or Sept. 30, whichever occurs first. The nearshore area opens to fishing May 2 on a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule, which are the days the all-depth halibut fishery is closed. Coordinates for the nearshore fishery are available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/creel/halibut/   The all-depth quota is 10,509 pounds; the nearshore quota is 500 pounds.

Marine Area 2 (Westport): The fishery opens May 1 and runs two days per week (Sundays and Tuesdays) for three consecutive weeks, unless the quota is reached sooner. The primary fishery is closed May 22 and 24, but could reopen May 29 or 31 if sufficient quota remains. The northern nearshore area will open May 1 and continue seven days per week until Sept. 30, or until the nearshore quota is reached. The quota for the primary fishery is 40,739 pounds; the quota for the northern nearshore fishery is 2,000 pounds.

Marine Areas 3 and 4 (La Push and Neah Bay): The fishery in both areas will open May 7 (Saturday), May 12 (Thursday) and May 14 (Saturday), as long as there is sufficient quota. Both areas will be closed May 19 and 21. If there is available quota, the fishery will re-open May 26 and/or 28. Additional days could be added (Thursdays and Saturdays), depending on the amount of quota available. The combined quota for both areas is 108,030 pounds.

Fishing regulations include depth restrictions and area closures designed to reduce encounters with yelloweye and canary rockfish, which must be released under state and federal law. Anglers are encouraged to use a descending device to release any rockfish they don’t intend to retain.

Information about descending devices can be found on WDFW’s webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/bottomfish/rockfish/mortality.html


source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Puget Sound Chinook Salmon 2016

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty tribes, recently released forecasts for chinook, coho, sockeye, and chum salmon in Puget Sound, the Columbia River, and Washington coastal areas.

Although biologists expect fair returns of hatchery Chinook salmon this year, low coho returns could restrict salmon fisheries in the region.

The recent forecast meeting was the starting point for developing 2016 salmon-fishing seasons in Puget Sound, the Columbia River, and Washington coastal areas. Fishery managers have scheduled a series of public meetings through early April before finalizing seasons later that month.

This year’s Puget Sound Chinook run is anticipated to be down from last year with about 165,000 fish returning. Hatchery fish make up the bulk of the run.

Roughly 55,000 sockeye are expected to return to the Baker River (a tributary of the Skagit River), which could trigger sockeye fisheries in Baker Lake and the Skagit River.

In the Columbia River, about 951,000 fall Chinook are expected to return, which is higher than the 10-year average but down from last year’s record run of 1.3 million fall Chinook.

The forecast calls for approximately 589,000 Chinook known as “upriver brights” returning to areas above Bonneville Dam.

About 223,000 hatchery fish, known as “tule Chinook” are expected to return this year to the lower Columbia River. The bulk of the recreational ocean chinook fishery consists of tules.

For more information, visit the WDFW website at wdfw.wa.gov.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

2016 Puget Sound Recreational Spot Shrimp Season

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently announced that recreational spot shrimp fishing in Puget Sound will open Saturday, May 14, 2016.

Shellfish managers are delaying the popular shrimp fishery until May 14 due to the extremely low tides that are expected during the first week in May.

Low tides will render many boat ramps around Puget Sound unusable for several hours and create poor shrimping conditions, according to WDFW.

Traditionally, the first Saturday in May marks the start of the season throughout Puget Sound.

For the latest information on sport shrimp seasons, visit WDFW’s website at wdfw.wa.gov.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington State Record Opah

A new state record for opah caught off the Washington coast was set recently, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The record-setting fish weighed 35.67 pounds and measured 37-7/8 inches.

Watson caught the large-eyed, orange-red colored opah in September while fishing 45 miles offshore of Westport.

Watson shared the fish with the charter crew, family and friends. "It was not like any fish I’ve tasted, but it was really good," said Watson. "Every bit of it went to good use."

Opah are the only fish found to be warm blooded throughout their bodies, a discovery first reported in the journal Science in May.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

2015 Pacific Salmon Season (Recreational Fisheries)

Biologists are predicting good salmon runs up and down the Pacific Coast for the 2015 fishing season.

In March the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) adopted three public review options for the 2015 salmon season off the West Coast of the United States.

Public hearings to receive input on the options are scheduled for March 30 in Westport, Washington and Coos Bay, Oregon; and for March 31 in Fort Bragg, California.

The Council will consult with scientists, hear public comment, and revise preliminary decisions until it chooses a final option at its meeting April 10-16 in Rohnert Park, California.

At its April meeting in Rohnert Park, the Council will narrow the options to a single season recommendation to be forwarded to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for their final approval before May 1.

All PFMC meetings are open to the public.

Detailed information about season starting dates, areas open, and catch limits for all three options are available on the PFMC website at www.pcouncil.org.

source: Pacific Fishery Management Council

Washington State Record Pacific Bluefin Tuna

A new state record has been set for Pacific bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Washington, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Sam Ellinger of Ellensburg caught the record-setting tuna 28 miles offshore southwest of Grays Harbor, while bait fishing with anchovies.

The tuna weighed 39.20 pounds and measured 41 inches in length. Ellinger's fish exceeded the previous record Pacific bluefin tuna weight by 2.71 pounds.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

2014 West Coast USA Ocean Salmon Seasons

The Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted a set of ocean salmon seasons that provides both recreational and commercial opportunities coastwide.

Washington and Oregon fishermen, in particular, will be benefit from higher-than-usual salmon returns in the Columbia River this year.

Salmon fisheries in California and Oregon provide access to an expected good return of Sacramento River fall Chinook while meeting protective measures for Klamath River fall Chinook, Sacramento River winter Chinook, and California Coastal Chinook.
   
The recommendation will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval by May 1, 2014.

“Everyone is excited about the strong, near-record, abundance of Columbia River stocks and improved numbers of coho salmon,” said Council Chair Dorothy Lowman.  “it is rewarding to see hard work translate into a balance of achieving conservation goals while providing good seasons for both recreational and commercial ocean salmon fisheries this summer.”

The coastal states will decide on compatible freshwater fishery regulations at their respective Commission hearings.

For more information, visit: http://www.pcouncil.org

source: Pacific Fishery Management Council

2014 Pacific Salmon Recreational Seasons

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) recently adopted three public review options for the 2014 salmon season off the West Coast of the United States. The Council will select a final option at their next meeting in Vancouver, Washington on April 5-9.

Sport Season Options:

Northern Oregon and Washington (north of Cape Falcon)

Ocean sport fishery options north of Cape Falcon in Oregon and off the Washington coast have mark-selective coho quotas ranging from 159,600 to 193,200 that start in late June and run into September (last year, the quota was 74,760 coho).

For Chinook salmon, quotas range from 47,500 Chinook to 60,000 Chinook (last year, the quota was 48,000 Chinook). Chinook quotas are limited due to in order to protect lower Columbia River tule fall Chinook, which are listed under the Endangered Species Act.

California and southern Oregon (south of Cape Falcon)

California ocean sport fishing options generally provide continuous fishing opportunity from April to October or November.

Oregon ocean recreational options include mark-selective coho fishing seasons starting in June or July and running into September. Quotas range from 50,000 to 80,000 coho.

In addition, non-mark selective fisheries are proposed in September with a quota of 20,000 coho. Options for Oregon ocean Chinook fishing in the Brookings area run May through September. For the Tillamook, Newport, and Coos Bay areas, season options range from March to October.

Public hearings to receive input on the options are scheduled for March 24 in Westport, Washington and Coos Bay, Oregon; and for March 25 in Eureka, California. The Council will consult with scientists, hear public comment, and revise preliminary decisions until it chooses a final option at its meeting April 5-10 in Vancouver, Washington.

At its April meeting in Vancouver, the Council will narrow these options to a single season recommendation to be forwarded to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for their final approval before May 1.

Detailed information about season starting dates, areas open,and catch limits for all three options are available on the Council’s website at

www.pcouncil.org.

source: Pacific Fishery Management Council

Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Disaster

A commercial fishery failure (disaster) has been declared for the Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery in Washington State.

According to NOAA Fisheries, the fishery disaster was caused by the low return of sockeye salmon to the Fraser River, resulting in a subsequent closure of the fishery for the 2013 fishing season. The closure resulted in revenue losses of nearly 97 percent for tribal and non-tribal fishermen.

"The sockeye salmon fishery isn’t just economically significant for the state of Washington – it’s inextricably linked to its history and culture," said Secretary Pritzker. "Because returns of sockeye salmon were so low and caused significant losses of revenues, the fishery qualified as a resource disaster under the nation’s fishing law."

source: NOAA Fisheries

Pacific Northwest Saltwater Fishing

Pacific Salmon

Arguably one the best fishing destinations in the world, the Pacific Northwest is world renowned for its saltwater fishing. Anglers fish from ports in Alaska, B.C. Canada, Washington, and Oregon, and northern California.

Salmon, trout, and char are highly sought after in the Pacific Northwest. Anglers catch Chinook, silver, pink, sockeye and chum salmon as well as arctic charr, steelhead, and other species.

In Alaska and other northern areas, Pacific halibut are a top attraction for bottom anglers, with fish over 50 pounds commonly caught. Other bottom fish include lingcod and dozens of species of rockfish.

Although much of the fishing in the region occurs in cold, rainy weather the area is known for its comfortable, seaworthy charter boats and head boats. Onshore, anglers that visit the Pacific Northwest will find a wide range of fishing lodges and other accommodations.

Pacific Northwest Ocean Salmon Regulations

NOAA Fisheries Service recently announced that it has established fishery management measures for the 2011 ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California and the 2012 salmon seasons opening earlier than May 1, 2012.

Specific fishery management measures vary by fishery and by area. The measures establish fishing areas, seasons, quotas, legal gear, recreational fishing days and catch limits, possession and landing restrictions, and minimum lengths for salmon taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (3-200 nautical miles) off Washington, Oregon, and California.

According to the agency,  management measures are intended to prevent overfishing and to apportion the ocean harvest equitably among treaty Indian, non-treaty commercial, and recreational fisheries. The measures are also intended to allow a portion of the salmon runs to escape the ocean fisheries in order to provide for spawning escapement and to provide for fisheries occurring in state internal waters.

Details of the regulations are published in the Federal Register and public comments on the rule are invited.

source: NOAA FishNews

2011 Pacific Northwest Salmon Runs

The Pacific Fishery Management Council recently adopted a set of ocean salmon seasons that provides both recreational and commercial opportunities coastwide. According to the agency, California, Oregon, and Washington salmon fisheries will open in several locations. The recommendation will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval by May 1, 2011.

Greatly improved abundance of Sacramento River fall Chinook will enable the first major ocean salmon fisheries off California and Oregon since 2007. In 2008 and 2009, poor Sacramento returns led to the largest ocean salmon fishery closure on record.

The abundance forecast of Sacramento River fall Chinook in 2011 is 730,000, far above the number needed for optimum spawning this fall. Klamath River fall Chinook runs for 2011 are predicted to be near normal.

In addition to increased runs of Chinook salmon, coho are expected to be plentiful. The 2011 forecast for Oregon Coast natural coho is about 250,000 fish, well above the 15 year average.

Anglers Expect Strong Salmon Runs in Washington

Fishing prospects look bright this year for chinook in Washington’s ocean waters and the Columbia River, according to preseason salmon forecasts.

Opportunities for anglers also look good in Puget Sound, where coho and pink salmon runs are expected to be strong this year.

Forecasts for chinook, coho, sockeye, pink and chum salmon mark the starting point for developing 2011 salmon-fishing seasons in Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Washington coastal areas. The forecasts were developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty Indian tribes.

Fishery managers have scheduled a series of public meetings over the next few weeks to discuss potential fishing opportunities before finalizing seasons in mid-April.

A meeting schedule, salmon forecasts and information about the salmon season-setting process are available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/.

As in past years, salmon-fishing prospects in 2011 vary by area:

Columbia River:

About 760,000 fall chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River this season. That’s about 112,000 more chinook than last year’s return and would constitute the fifth largest run since 1948, said Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy coordinator for WDFW.

 More than half of the chinook forecast - about 398,000 salmon - is expected to be "upriver brights" headed to the Hanford Reach area and the Snake River. That would be the second largest run of upriver brights since 1964, when fishery managers began keeping records, said LeFleur.

 While the chinook run is expected to be up, the forecast of 362,500 Columbia River coho is similar to last year’s projection.

 Washington’s ocean waters:

Anglers can expect an ocean fishery for chinook and coho salmon this summer similar to that in 2010, said Doug Milward, ocean salmon fishery manager for WDFW.

According to Milward: "The number of salmon available for this summer’s ocean fishery is expected to be similar to last year, so anglers should see another good year of fishing."

Nearly 250,000 hatchery chinook are expected to return this year to the lower Columbia River. Those salmon, known as "tules," traditionally have been the backbone of the recreational ocean chinook fishery. The 362,500 coho salmon bound for the Columbia River also account for a significant portion of the ocean catch.

Puget Sound:

Coho and pink salmon returns to Puget Sound are expected to be strong this year. About 980,000 coho are forecast to return to Puget Sound streams, about 367,000 more fish than last year’s forecast. In addition, nearly 6 million pink salmon are expected to return to Puget Sound this year. That forecast is 3 million salmon below 2009’s record return but still an abundant run, said Steve Thiesfeld, Puget Sound salmon manager for WDFW. Most pink salmon return to Washington’s waters only in odd-numbered years.

"This is shaping up to be a really good year in Puget Sound for both coho and pink salmon," said Thiesfeld, who noted that an additional 17 million pink salmon are forecast to return to Canada’s Fraser River this year. "A portion of those Fraser River fish will make their way through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands boosting opportunities for Washington anglers."

Summer/fall chinook salmon returns to Puget Sound are expected to total about 243,000 fish, slightly higher than last year’s projection of 226,000. Most chinook fisheries in Puget Sound likely will be similar to last year, said Thiesfeld. However, fishing opportunities in the Green (Duwamish) River and Elliott Bay could be limited by a low forecast of wild chinook, he said.

Thiesfeld said a Lake Washington sockeye fishery is unlikely this year. The sockeye forecast is about 34,600, well below the minimum return of 350,000 sockeye needed to consider opening a recreational fishery in the lake.

State, tribal and federal fishery managers will meet March 5-10 in Vancouver, Wash., with the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) to develop options for this year’s commercial and recreational ocean chinook and coho salmon fisheries. The PFMC establishes fishing seasons in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast.

Additional public meetings have been scheduled in March to discuss regional fishery issues. Input from these regional discussions will be considered as the season-setting process moves into the "North of Falcon" and PFMC meetings, which will determine the final 2011 salmon seasons.

The PFMC is expected to adopt final ocean fishing seasons and harvest levels at its April 9-14 meeting in San Mateo, Calif. The 2011 salmon fisheries package for Washington’s inside waters will be completed by the state and tribal co-managers during the PFMC’s April meeting.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Proposal to Designate Pacific Smelt Critical Habitat

NOAA Fisheries is proposing to designate critical habitat for the southern distinct population segment (DPS) of Pacific eulachon, commonly known as Pacific smelt. The agency listed these fish as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in March of last year.

The proposal covers 12 specific areas for designation as critical habitat within the states of California, Oregon and Washington. The proposed areas are a combination of freshwater creeks and rivers and their associated estuaries, comprising approximately 292 miles of habitat.

Pacific smelt are small ocean-going fish that historically ranged from northern California to the Bering Sea in Alaska. They return to rivers to spawn in late winter and early spring.

A public meeting on this critical habitat proposal is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2011, 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. (people may attend either session), at the Doubletree Hotel, 1000 NE Multnomah St., Portland, Ore. The comment period will close Mar. 7, 2011.

For more details visit the Fisheries Northwest Region Website at:

http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Other-Marine-Species/eulachon.cfm

source: NOAA press release

Washington Anglers Get Additional Halibut Fishing Day

With 26,776 pounds of quota remaining, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will reopen in marine areas 3 and 4 (La Push and Neah Bay) to halibut fishing on Saturday, June 19.

Though that is a lot of quota for this late in June, Heather Reed, WDFW’s coastal policy coordinator, said there is not enough pounds left for a two day opening.

"There’s still quota remaining because poor weather early in the season kept people from heading out on the water," Reed said. "The remaining quota is sufficient for a one-day opening on a weekend day, when more folks can participate."

NOAA Lists Georgia Basin Rockfish as Endangered Species

NOAA’s Fisheries Service Grants Federal Protection for Three Georgia Basin Rockfish Species

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has announced that it is listing three populations of rockfish in Washington’s Georgia Basin for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The populations of two of the rockfish species – canary and yelloweye – have been designated as “threatened” and a third rockfish species – bocaccio – as “endangered.” An endangered species is at high risk of extinction; a threatened species is vulnerable to extinction in the near future and in need of protection.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife prohibits fishermen from keeping any rockfish they may accidentally catch in the Puget Sound region. The state agency also forbids bottomfishing in waters deeper than 120 feet, where most of these adult rockfish are found.

For more information on the rockfish ESA listing, see:

http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Other-Marine-Species/Puget-Sound-Marine-Fishes/ESA-PS-Rockfish.cfm

Pacific Coast Salmon Seasons to Open

 The Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted a set of salmon seasons that provides both recreational and commercial opportunities coastwide for the first time since 2007.

The recommendation will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval by May 1, 2010. “While modest at best in historical terms, this season represents a substantial improvement over the seasons in California and Oregon in the last two years. It will be good to have fishermen back on the water,” said Council chairman Dave Ortmann.

North of Cape Falcon

Fisheries north of Cape Falcon (near Nehalem in northern Oregon) depend largely on Columbia River stocks. Columbia River fall Chinook returns in 2009 were mostly above average, although the North Lewis River wild return was slightly less than the
management objective of 5,700 adults. Forecasts for 2010 were generally above average, including a record high for the Spring Creek Hatchery stock. Columbia River hatchery coho returning to the river mouth were the highest since 2001. However, the 2010 forecast is substantially lower than in 2009. North of Cape Falcon, there is an overall non-Indian total allowable catch of 117,000 Chinook and 80,000 marked hatchery coho.


Recreational Fisheries

The recreational Chinook season north of Cape Falcon begins June 12 and ends June 30 or when 12,000 marked Chinook are caught. The Chinook season will be open seven days per week, two fish per day, with a 24 inch total length minimum size limit.

All salmon seasons are divided into four sub-areas.

Seasons begin July 1 (or July 4 in the Westport sub-area) and end in mid to late September.

For details, please see the season descriptions on the Council website at:

http://www.pcouncil.org/wpcontent/uploads/PFMC_Adopted_Salmon_Regs.pdf


Commercial Fisheries

Non-Indian ocean commercial fisheries north of Cape Falcon include traditional Chinook seasons in the May-June timeframe and all salmon seasons in the July to September timeframe. The Chinook quota of 56,000 is more than twice the 2009 quota.
The coho quota of 13,000 is about one third of the 2009 quota.

Tribal ocean fisheries north of Cape Falcon are similar to recent years, although coho quotas are also much smaller than in 2009.

South of Cape Falcon

Fisheries south of Cape Falcon are supported by Sacramento River fall Chinook. In 2008 and 2009, poor Sacramento returns led to the largest fishery closure on record. In 2009,adult spawning escapement for Sacramento River fall Chinook failed to meet the escapement goal (122,000-180,000 adults) for the third year in a row, leading to the formal declaration of an overfishing concern (although fishing is not considered one of the major causes of the stock’s decline). The forecast for the Sacramento Index of ocean abundance in 2010 is 245,500 adults, which provides adequate numbers for limited fisheries.

The Klamath River fall Chinook forecast for 2010 is sufficient to allow some fishing opportunity. The Oregon Coast natural coho forecast in 2010 is about 70 percent of last year’s forecast, but still above the 15 year average.


Recreational Fisheries

Recreational fisheries in Oregon will allow Chinook retention and run from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends. There will also be a concurrent mark-selective coho fishery from starting June 26 and ending either September 6 or when the quota of 26,000 is reached.

Recreational fisheries in California are for Chinook only and run from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends in the Eureka/Crescent City area, and from April 3 to September 6 in areas further south; however, fishing will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday south of Point Arena. The minimum size limit will be 24 inches for Chinook coastwide.

The escapement goal, or conservation objective, is the optimal number of adult fish returning to spawn in order to maximize the production of the stock.


Commercial Fisheries

Commercial fisheries from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt., Oregon will be open from May 1 through August 25 with some three-day-a-week closures in July. Fisheries in the Humbug Mt. to California border area will be open in May, July and August, with the July and August fisheries on quotas of 1,500 Chinook for each month.

Commercial fisheries in California are very limited, but will include two four-day openers in July south of Point Arena, and additional quota fisheries in the Fort Bragg area during late July and August.

California and Oregon fisheries also include a catch-and-release genetic study during closed periods.


source: Pacific Fishery Management Council news release

PFMC Announces West Coast Salmon Fishing Options

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) laid out its three options for west coast salmon fishing seasons on Thursday 11 March. The three options would allow at least limited recreational fishing, and two of the three options would allow minimal commercial fishing off the California coast. Oregon and Washington fared better, with recommendations for them for receiving much more fishing opportunity in both the recreational and commercial fisheries. Like California, much of the Oregon ocean salmon fishery was closed down in both 2008 and 2009 to protect damaged California Central Valley fall chinook runs from complete collapse.

The Pacific Council’s 12 March press release can be found at: www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/0309press_release_FINAL.pdf

source: Fishlink Sublegals