ODFW Release Columbia Spring Salmon Alocation 2009 Season

[Chinook SSSF]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=header vAlign=top colSpan=2 height=22>Commission adopts allocation formula for Columbia River chinook salmon

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=style2 height=23></TD><TD class=style2></TD></TR><TR><TD class=news vAlign=top width="10%" height=38>Date:

</TD><TD class=news vAlign=top width="90%">December 12, 2008

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=news vAlign=top height=49>Contact:

</TD><TD class=news vAlign=top>Steve Williams (503) 947-6209
Curt Melcher (503) 947-6044
Jessica Sall (503) 947-6023
Fax: (541) 673-6009

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=2>PORTLAND, Ore.—The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today amended a proposed catch-sharing plan for allocating spring chinook in the lower Columbia River between commercial and sport fishing interests. The decision is expected to lead to additional negotiations with the state of Washington before an allocation is finalized.
The commission debated a plan developed by the Columbia River Working Group, a special committee created by the Oregon and Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissions specifically to tackle the perennially contentious issue of dividing available spring chinook between sport and commercial interests. The Group is comprised of three members from each state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission and citizen advisors from both states representing sport and commercial fishing and local governments.

The plan originally proposed a base allocation of available impacts of 65 percent for the sport fishery with 35 percent for the commercial fishery. Several commissioners pushed for a greater allocation for the commercial fishery.
The commission directed ODFW to develop a 55-45 percent catch-sharing plan with the flexibility to adjust the allocation if necessary to reach agreement with Washington fishery managers.

While the commission made a change to the proposed 65-35 allocation split, it did agree on several key management objectives outlined in the original plan:

• Likelihood of a 45-day sport fishery in the lower Columbia in March and April.
• Provide stability to the commercial fishery in the select areas – off channel fisheries in places like Youngs Bay and Blind Slough. Most of the fish entering these areas are hatchery fish and potential impacts on wild, threatened spring chinook are minimal.
• If the run size permits, allow some commercial fishing in the mainstem of the lower Columbia during March and April.
• Provide a predictable sport fishery above Bonneville Dam allocating it 25 percent of available impacts.

In addition, the plan established a 35 percent conservation buffer that will minimize the risk of exceeding federal Endangered Species Act limits on the harvest of wild chinook.

The spring chinook run on the Columbia River is comprised of both hatchery and wild fish. Wild spring chinook are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act and must be released if caught. Harvest quotas are based on federal rules designed to limit the impact of incidental mortality associated with the catch and release of wild fish. The total number of “impacts” allowed in both sport and commercial fisheries ranges from .05 to 2.7 percent of the total run.

To manage the available impacts, state fishery managers will use a sharing formula (matrix) based on strength of the spring chinook runs in both the upper Columbia and Willamette fisheries.

Under the plan, the base allocation could vary depending on the forecasts for the upper Columbia and Willamette.
In related decisions, the commission decided to continue the current sport/commercial allocation (50 percent each) for summer chinook downstream from Priest Rapids, and to extend the current 2006-08 sturgeon management plan for an additional year.
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[Chinook SSSF]

I assume this '45 day season' is well before the general public feels the bulk of the run moves through the lower Columbia.

IM certain the sportfishing sides representation was a force of human nature to be reckoned with but im also certain those crys for the future of the sport fishing industry fell on closed minds and deaf ears forced in a corner by so many different interests, as usuall...

If your wondering what those interests are they are

Commercial Fishing both states
Oregon sport fishing
Washington sport fishing
Tribal

It is very clear that something must be done to increase overall fish numbers even if it means a big fat lawsuit? Is that possible?



Glad IM in CCA, because I am not sure what else we can do next....

[Mr. R & B]

Interesting note, the 45 day season as it looks, will be all of march and all of April. They will close the rivers a day or two each week to attempt to give a 45 day season that last through April but I understand they want to start us closer to the March 1st date.


I have also been told another possibilty is that we my get a split season.

We all know that the second portion of the season would be likely to be canceled!

RB

[Chuckster]

Doesn't the most recent decsion by the Commission look just like Ground Hog day the movie? It sure does to me. Commission members boardly sitting through a few hours of angry sports fishermans testimony to decrease mortality and improve commercial methods, only to revert back to the same old formula we see every year! Sticking with the predetermined back room deal that was struck WAY before the meeting. It is time for the Commission to be removed and start with some fresh faces. They do not care anything about fish recovery, only what they get from the commercial interests.

Chuck

[Chinook SSSF]

I think those alloctation meets are symbolistic of everything that splits us apart in fishing no matter whos boat your on.

I mean they all seem so confident about what they each believe is right or wrong, yet they are all still fighting over the last slices of pie.....and to closed ears....

I always thought the idea was a bigger pie, the pie that used to have 10,000,000 slices....

As you stated Chuck this is a big merry-go-around and no one is getting any place and yet it serves to divert us from our common goal does it not?


I think its time for legal action......

Someone please correct me if IM wrong ?

[David Johnson]

I assume this '45 day season' is well before the general public feels the bulk of the run moves through the lower Columbia.

IM certain the sportfishing sides representation was a force of human nature to be reckoned with but im also certain those crys for the future of the sport fishing industry fell on closed minds and deaf ears

You can say all of that again, sprots fishermen got screwed.

They want to give us 45 days starting in March. It will close down mid April, just before the peak of the run, as usual.

Gee thanks!

I agree, we nedd to get rid of these clowns and get some new faces in there that aren't corrupt.

[Chinook SSSF]

Here is a comment link to the Gov. Kulongoski's office, to suggest that the commision be scraped and rebuilt of common sence.

http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/contact_us.shtml

With a new Gov. stepping in, we need to make sure the issue is in the light that the entire sports fishing communitie is discapointed to the core this time around.

We must be very vigilant with him and fast, this is the guy that did not think MR's could hurt the coastal economy....Whats to keep him from thinking the same thing about sport fishing here on the Columbia?

The answer to that is us....



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