OPTIONS FOR UPCOMING Pacific Ocean salmon fisheries reflect concerns over poor projected returns of coho this year.
Three alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries were approved earlier this week for public review by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which establishes fishing seasons in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast.
Salmon managers developed options designed to protect the low number of wild coho expected to return to some Washington rivers this year while still providing some fishing opportunities, said Kyle Adicks, salmon fisheries policy lead for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“With these options in hand, we’ll work with anglers to establish fisheries for 2017 that meet our conservation objectives for wild salmon,” Adicks said.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead, but we anticipate ocean salmon quotas similar to, or perhaps slightly better than, last year’s.”
More tules coming
The ocean abundance of Columbia River coho is forecast to be about 386,000 fish, which is similar to last year’s forecast. Only 223,000 coho actually returned last year to the Columbia River, where some coho stocks are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
About 250,000 hatchery chinook are expected to return this year to the lower Columbia River — nearly 124,000 more fish than actually returned last year. Those salmon, known as “tules,” are the backbone of the recreational ocean chinook fishery.
Unfavorable environmental conditions, such as warm ocean water or flooding in rivers, have reduced the number of salmon returning to Washington’s waters, Adicks said.
Ocean alternatives
The recreational fishing alternatives include the following quotas for fisheries off the Washington coast:
• Alternative 1 – 54,500 chinook and 58,800 coho. This option includes early season fisheries, from June 17-30, in Marine Areas 1 (Ilwaco) and 2 (Westport) for hatchery chinook. This option also allows coho retention in all four marine areas during the traditional summery fishery.
From the Canadian border to Neah Bay, the season would begin June 24 and run seven days a week until either Sept. 30 or until subarea quotas of 6,120 marked hatchery coho and 8,800 chinook were landed. The limit would be two fish per day.
Chinook would not be retainable east of the Bonilla-Tattoosh line beginning Aug. 1.
Chum would have to be sent back in this area after Aug. 1.
The La Push subarea would see a 1,530 coho subarea quota and a 2,700-fish guideline for chinook with a two-fish per day limit and a season running seven days a week from June 24 to Sept. 30, or earlier if those guidelines are reached.
• Alternative 2 – 45,000 chinook and 50,400 coho. This option does not include early season fisheries but provides chinook and hatchery coho fisheries in all four marine areas that begin June 24.
This alternative drops the Neah Bay are chinook catch to 7,900 and coho to 5,240. The La Push subarea totals would fall to 1,310 coho and 2,500 chinook.
• Alternative 3 – 40,000 chinook and 18,900 coho. Chinook fisheries would begin in early July in all four marine areas. Coho retention would be allowed only in Marine Area 1.
The third alternative most closely resembles ocean fisheries last summer, when anglers were allowed to retain coho only in Marine Area 1 near the mouth of the Columbia River. Last year, the PFMC adopted recreational ocean fishing quotas of 35,000 chinook and 18,900 coho salmon.
For more details about the options, visit PFMC’s webpage at tinyurl.com/PDN-PFMCLimits.
Chinook and coho quotas approved by the PFMC will be part of a comprehensive 2017 salmon fishing package, which includes marine and freshwater fisheries throughout Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Washington’s coastal areas. State and tribal co-managers are currently developing those fisheries.
State and tribal co-managers will complete the final 2017 salmon fisheries package in conjunction with the PFMC process during its April meeting in Sacramento, Calif.
Meanwhile, several public meetings are scheduled in March and April to discuss regional fisheries issues. The public can comment on the proposed ocean alternatives as well as on other proposed salmon fisheries through WDFW’s North of Falcon webpage at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon.
Spaghetti fundraiser
The Olympic Peninsula Halibut and Salmon Coalition, the group working to increase the length of the halibut fishery in area waters, will host a spaghetti dinner fundraiser Saturday.
The fundraiser, featuring spaghetti cooked by Toga’s Soup House Deli, will be held at the Port Angeles Moose Lodge, 809 S. Pine St., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Moose Lodge members and guests and the angling public are all invited to nosh some noodles and raise some money for the effort.
The minimum donation is $10, with larger donations appreciated.
No Kalaloch digs
State shellfish managers have added Twin Harbors to the next tentatively scheduled razor clam opening, beginning Friday, March 24, and canceled four days of digging at Kalaloch due to a low abundance of clams.
Final approval of scheduled openings will depend on whether results of marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat.
The proposed razor clam digs, along with evening low tides and beaches, are listed below:
•Friday, March 24: 5:01 p.m.; 0.5 feet; Mocrocks, Twin Harbors
•Saturday, March 25: 5:44 p.m.; 0.2 feet; Copalis, Twin Harbors
•Sunday, March 26: 6:24 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Mocrocks, Twin Harbors
•Monday, March 27:, 7:04 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Twin Harbors
Kid’s fishing derby
Save the date of Saturday, April 8 for the annual Kid’s Fishing Derby at the Lincoln Park Ponds in Port Angeles.
The event will start at 8 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m.
Age-group winners will receive new rods and reels.
Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishers Club President Jerry Bouyear said the ponds will be stocked with 1,500 trout, including 100 jumbo-sized fish.
The event is sponsored by Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishers, the city of Port Angeles, Kiwanis Club of Port Angeles, Re/Max Evergreen Realty, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and and individual donors.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
